A life-debt to Kurt
by Gaea
Summary: Diane was basically kicked out by her family when they found out she's muntant with the power to create things out of the molecules of the things around her. She refused to use her powers. Nightcrawler found her dying, brought her to the mansion. Ah..
1. Default Chapter

Professor X wheeled into the room. "Alright, Gaea. Let's see what you can do. To the danger room!" He wheeled out again. Slightly apprehensive, but not showing it, Diane followed the retreating professor. The rest of the X-men hurried up to the control room where they could watch the short woman work.

Gaea walked into the danger room. It was a featureless steel box. She didn't see what was so…dangerous…about it. She walked on fearlessly. All of a sudden, out of the ceiling, a huge spiked mace came falling for her. Almost absently, she held one hand above her head. The air there became solid just as the ball crashed towards it. Nightcrawler tried to warn her about it, but Wolverine put a firm hand around his mouth.

"NO help from the peanut gallery." he growled. Gaea didn't see it coming. The mace bounced right off her wall, then fell again. This time she looked up, and concentrated just as the ball neared the wall, she wrapped it around so that the spiked ball bounced around in a sphere of rock hard air. Finally the ball dropped and Gaea took her will off it as it ascended back into the ceiling. Suddenly some wrapping tentacles squirmed out of the floor, trying to wrap themselves around her. She gestured and flipped neatly out of the way as the tentacles wrapped themselves around the new pillar. Suddenly the floor on which she was standing creaked. Nightcrawler knew the warning noise well.

"Gaea!" He yelled. "Look out, the--" *Smurf* His warning was smothered in time, but too late for Gaea. The floor gave way and Gaea fell. There was a loud thud as something solid hit something else solid, and then silence in the cavernous danger room. Just as the X-men were starting to get worried, just as Storm was about to order Nightcrawler to get down there and see what happened, the hole where Gaea had fallen had begun to glow. Gaea came walking up on solid air, the space for about a couple of inches around her was glowing white hot, so no one could look at her for long. A large robot came thundering out of the wall behind her. The still glowing Gaea whirled and another wall was constructed. This robot was equipped to slam thorough her walls however, and it tried. But its trying wasn't good enough. With a seemingly negligent gesture, the wall burst into 1000+ degree flames. The robot was melted into slag.

"Hmmm." Wolverine murmured. "I'd say she's mad. That's some berserker rage for such a tiny person."

Nightcrawler shook his head. "She's not mad yet." he murmured, then groaned. The robot had done it's job. It had pushed her in between the two clamps of the huge hydraulic press. They began to inch shut, and then suddenly -Nightcrawler turned his head at this point- they slammed shut. The rest of the X-men gasped. Nightcrawler opened one eye. He blinked, then opened the other. Gaea was standing between the two clamps, and they rested just two inches away from her skin. Looking at the screens, the blue-skinned man saw that they were on full power, both attempting to slam into Gaea. Yet they weren't moving. Suddenly Gaea threw out her arms, and the two clamps flew in opposite directions. She was still glowing, and now Nightcrawler murmured, "_Now_ she's mad." When she walked out he was there. "You okay, Leibling?" he asked, noting that her glowing had slowed to a dim shimmer.

"I'm fine." she said a little shortly for Diane's normal tone. But she wasn't. Nightcrawler could tell. 

"You sure?" he asked again. Diane nodded. But all of a sudden her eyes rolled, and she fainted against him. "Ha. I knew it." Since his room was the closest, he brought her and set on his bed. Then he tiptoed out to tell the rest of the X-men what had happened.

The next thing Diane knew was that she was in a bed very different from her own. She was staring at a jungle gym…on the ceiling. She started and tried to sit up. Then she groaned. She could barely move. Every muscle in her body screamed when she so much as twitched. "Erph." She mumbled. She had no idea where she was, all she knew was that she wasn't in _her_ new bed. She mulled this over after looking around a bit, and tried to push back a creeping suspicion that this was a certain fuzzy X-man's room. She noted that it smelled a bit like smoke and brimstone, mixed with wet fur. Definitely. She grumbled to herself about the fact she couldn't even move, and boy, what a tirade _he_ would get when he came back. There was suddenly a ball of brimstone next to the bed, and Diane almost jumped.

"Boo! I see that you've woken up." he commented. "How do you feel?"

"Awful. I can't move. You put me here on purpose didn't you?" she asked suspiciously. She got a nod and a fanged smile. "You knew I'd be too stiff to move."

"Of course my dear leibling. I can't keep an eye on you elsewhere." He grinned at her again. Diane decided it was nigh time they changed the subject.

"Why do you have a jungle gym on the ceiling?" she asked quickly. Boy he was annoying sometimes. Maybe it was mistake to give her life-debt to him.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You changed the subject. That doesn't work. I put you here because…well, to tell the truth, I have no idea." He grinned then swung around on the bars a little. Then he landed softly on the bed next to her. He leaned on a pillow -his bed was large- and grinned at her, knowing all too well that she couldn't shove him off or really make him leave. Gaea stared at him for a moment, then decided not to give him the pleasure of hearing her tell him to get off. She sighed hopelessly. A long silence stretched between them. Then Nightcrawler shrugged as if throwing off the cloak of silence.

"Why won't you _let _anyone be a friend?" he asked plaintively. He didn't expect the shocked look on Diane's face.

"B-but." she stuttered. "I _am _your friend…I thought." She looked sad. Nightcrawler shrugged again.

"Oh, you know." He mumbled, turning red under his fur. Diane stared.

"You're blushing." she pointed out, as close to a laugh as ever. "You see", she explained. "I put a bubble around myself, so no one can get close. A mental bubble." Nightcrawler frowned.

"Well, if that's true, then Kitty seems to have phased right though it." He frowned again. "Can I teleport past it?" he asked hopefully. All he got was a slow shaking head.

"That brings you much to close the me." she explained, holding her hands like they were pressed into a piece of curved glass in front of her.

"That's not good for you." Nightcrawler admonished. "It's not good to separate yourself from the rest of the...er…human race. You need to let people be closer to you." He told her twitching his tail in her face. Diane's eyes widened imperceptibly as she noticed how close he suddenly seemed. He smelled faintly of smoke, she noted with an inward chuckle. She turned her head.

"No. _I _don't need people to be close to _me_." She closed her eyes, which were suddenly burning for a moment. Nightcrawler was amazed that he hadn't seen it in her face before, though he now knew that it had been there all along. She was lonely. So lonely. She _needed_ someone. And it might as well be him, he thought with a chuckle. He glanced at Diane. And his jaw dropped. Diane was crying. At least she admitted it to herself. She had been sitting there, thinking about what he had said, and then she had felt something warm and wet on her cheek. She had tasted it. It was salt. Then her whole face was wet. Her shoulders shook, and she _really_ hoped against all hopes Nightcrawler wouldn't notice. But obviously he did, because then he was holding her, and she clung onto him for dear life. For the first time in her life she admitted to herself that he was right, she _did _need someone. And it might as well be him. After a few moments she let go and moved away, wiping her eyes on the pillow. She hoped he wouldn't try an talk about it. Nightcrawler could tell she didn't want to talk about, and to tell the truth, he didn't either. He only murmured something, and pulled her back against him. Diane was surprised at herself. She didn't even try to get away from him. Maybe it was just because he was so _warm_ or something. She carefully lay her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Nightcrawler was shocked. He'd expected her to pull away and push him off. He put his face into her soft golden hair. Maybe Wolverine was right. What _was _he going to tell 'Manda? He watched her drift off before letting himself follow her to slumber.

Diane woke up again on the large bed in Nightcrawler's room. She almost screamed when she realized she was under blankets, which she _knew_she hadn't been when she fell asleep. She all but leaped three feet in the air when she realized she wasn't alone. She _was_ glad that she was wearing all her clothes, as was Nightcrawler. She tried not to move, so she wouldn't wake Kurt up, but it was hard because she was snuggled tightly against his chest. She was about to leap up when he stirred and moved his arm around her. It was then she gave up and began to notice how soft and fuzzy his skin was. She tried to push her thoughts away like she always had before, but it was awfully hard with her face pressed against the blue fuzz. She sighed and let her hair fall over herself like a drape.

Nightcrawler stirred feeling something cuddled against him. It wasn't 'Manda. This person was too small. The long blonde hair gave her away. Nightcrawler pondered kissing her now, while she was too sleepy to slap him, as he was positive she would if she was awake. He pushed it away. He didn't want to take advantage of her. At least, he wanted her _awake_. He chuckled to himself

Diane really woke up when she felt the vibrations of his chuckle. She didn't really want to move, she was warm and comfortable. But she knew someone would come in soon, and then they'd both get it. She rolled over and stretched. "GET OFF." she commanded, once again the old Gaea with a stony mask of indifference. Then she slipped off the bed and stood. Then she marched out in her rumpled clothes from yesterday. As she walked down the hall she tried to pretend she didn't see the heads turning as she walked. She ignored the smirks as well. She entered her room and changed quickly, before walking out for breakfast. People stared at her there, too. Kitty sidled up to her as she sat down and plopped next to her. Diane couldn't help but noticed that Wolverine sat across from her, smirking, and also, that busty red-head from the other day was still draped over his arm.

"You have fun last night?" He asked teasingly. Diane's eyes glittered a little, but not noticeably. She cocked her head to stare at him.

"Wolverine, don't push it. I'm about to slap you. Besides. With _him?_ You must be insane." she informed him calmly. She got another smirk.

"So you did, huh? And by the way, I _am_ insane." he prompted, obviously not believing her because she looked so calm. He should have. Diane didn't answer, she just reached across the table and slapped him sharply across the face.

"I told you." She said serenely, and got up to get her food. Kurt came staggering after her, yawning. He settled blearily into a chair. He didn't see the look on Wolverine's face as he scowled after the retreating Diane. Kurt's eyes focused on the sharp red welt on his friend's face.

"Hmm." he mumbles. "You annoy her?" he asks. It's not really a question. "She's on a short fuse…shorter than usual. I think she put a little more than her hand behind that." Diane returned with her food, ignoring Wolverine's glare with a skill borne of long practice. Kitty leaned over and whispered,

"Did you _really_…?" she asks, obviously not noticing the warning hardening of the corners of Diane's mouth.

"Do you want a slap too? And as I said before, _never_ with him." She asked this in a tone like she was discussing weather. Kitty was not…er…phased.

"I'll take that as a no." She smiled, knowing that this is just the way her new friend is. "You did a great job in the danger room yesterday." she said.

Kurt's chest wrenched when he heard her comments. He _thought_ she liked him more than that, but obviously not. Diane replied to Kitty's statement with the cold indifference that hurt Kurt.

"No, I didn't. I lost my temper, which is something I should never allow myself to do, especially at machines that are only doing what they're told. Besides, look what it did to me." She broke off, leaving it that. Kitty looked inquiring.

"What happened?"

"You're asking for a slap." Diane said warningly. Wolverine broke in.

"That was some Berserker Rage yesterday shorty. Hah! There's finally someone that I can call shorty after taking the abuse for years." Diane raised a hand warningly.

"Don't use your enhanced hearing to eavesdrop. It's not polite." Wolverine smirked.

"Too late babe." He ducked. She had thrown a _punch_ this time. He didn't expect her had to fly backwards and smack the other side of his face. He winced.

Kitty leaned even closer. She whispered directly in her ear. "I want you to tell me later…when we're alone." She didn't really leave an option. Kurt suddenly rubbed himself awake and stood, pointedly sitting next to the old Gaea, knowing that he'll only get abuse, but wanting to remind her. Something flickered across Gaea's face for about two seconds. Then she began to push food into her mouth pointedly turning her face away from Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler sadly sighed and closes his eyes. Wolverine stopped smirking, realizing that something serious had obviously happened.

After breakfast, Wolverine pulled Nightcrawler aside. "Look bub." He told his friend. "I know as well as you that something serious happened. If it involves my friends I intend to find out, so why don't you just tell me?" Nightcrawler turned his head and sighed.

"She just lost it all right?" Wolverine shook his head.

"Nope." He crossed his arms, blocking the door. "That's not it, and I know it."

Nightcrawler sighs and gives up. "Look. I'll tell you, but you've gotta stay out of it. She lost control. After she got mad, she lost the control over all her other emotions. She broke down because she's isolated herself and made herself lonely by pushing everyone else away. She just needs someone to hang onto. An anchor." He bamfed away to his room.

Kitty pulled Diane away. "Will you tell _me_ what happened?" she asked plaintively. Diane nodded slowly.

"I lost control of my emotions when I went into the rage. I broke down because I couldn't control it." she explains in her terse manner before marching away to her room. When she opened the door she gasped. EVERYTHING WAS GONE! There was absolutely nothing left in her room. There was a small note on the floor. She picked up and read it. Suddenly her hands tensed, crushing it into a little ball.

Diane~  
It's all in my room. Thought you'd need company.

~Kurt

Diane stormed down the hall, her ears red and the corners of her mouth tense. Otherwise, she's just the normal stony Gaea. When she reaches the door, she suddenly waves her arms, and the air around glows white-hot. The door slammed inward off its own accord, startling Nightcrawler.

"Vas…?" When he saw who it was, and blinked a little at the glow, he grinned. "Well, my dear fraulin. Thank you for joining me." He gestured at an adjoining room, where Diane could see all her stuff.

"YOU!" She thundered furiously. Nightcrawler knew she was really, _really_ mad now.

"Uhm. I thought, since you were pledged to protect me…you might like the adjoining room…" he trailed off at her almost-glare. "And, uh…" Diane gave up under his bewildered look. He was absolutely too cute when he did that. She sighed and dropped onto his bed wearily. Wolverine was right. Rages really took it out of you. Nightcrawler looked at her warily, and when he decided she was no longer dangerous he moved a little closer, twitching her tail at her. He curled it around her ankle. She sighed and looked down at the blue tail. She touched it with two fingers.

"Fuzzy." She murmurs softly. When she looked up, he was a whole lot closer. She almost moved away, but actually decided she liked having his smoky fur near her. She sighed and leaned against him, though the stiffness of her body warned him not to take it any farther. As she relaxed, she realized he was right. She needed someone, something to relax with, to let down her guard with, to let go of her emotions. Nightcrawler took the hint. Well, he'd wait. He stroked her hair absently, still pondering over why she wouldn't let him any closer than this, although, he had to admit, this _was_ awfully close.

Diane stiffened a little when he touched her hair, but then she relaxed again. She could feel it as though he had said it. He was wondering if she really did have any emotions besides anger and loneliness. She lifted her head, determined to show him otherwise.

"I _do_ have emotions, you know."

"Why leibling, what ever gave you the idea I thought you didn't?" he asked, surprised. If she was no telepath, how did she guess?

"You just don't." She blinked at him. "I do feel. More than others. I just don't show it."

"Of course." Nightcrawler nodded.

"You don't believe me." she whispered.

"Of course I do." He said loudly. Too loudly. Diane shook her head.

"You don't. I _feel_ it." She stressed feel, and curled against him tighter, as if cold. "I wish I could prove it to you." she says wistfully."

Nightcrawler looked down. "You can." He whispered, then kissed her. Diane responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. She closed her eyes and let him kiss her. If this was the only way he would believe her, then so be it. And for some strange reason, she liked it. After a moment or two Nightcrawler pulled away, blushing magenta under his fur. "I'm s-sorry." he murmurs shakily. He didn't expect it. Diane pulled him back down to her and kissed him back. Then she lay her cheek against his.

"Payback." She whispered. Then she rolled away from him and off the bed as he heard someone coming. Whoever it was passed the slammed open door. Gaea waved her hand and with an echoing slam the door shut, rattling the jungle gym.

Nightcrawler sighed. I _knew _she couldn't resist my charm, he thought smugly. Diane caught herself. She mentally slapped herself as she had so many times since she had joined the X-men. Around them, she seemed to lose on control of her emotions. She didn't like it. Not one bit. Gaea like to have everything in control, and around them, especially Kurt, she seemed to lose the control she had developed over her 18 years. She lay back, her ears a little red, slightly away from Kurt.

Nightcrawler sighed. I should have known that was too good to last. He grumbled to himself. He too flopped back. Diane suddenly got up, her ears still slightly red and marched into her new room, slamming the door between them. Nightcrawler decided to let her be embarrassed in peace. All he hoped was that the rest of the X-men didn't try and get _too_ curious. He grumbled as he got up. He had a session in the 'room soon.

Diane shook her head violently once she was alone. WHAT IN THE HECK WAS WRONG WITH HER? She puzzled on this for some time, then settled onto her bed to try and pull all her emotions together. She did. She stood up once more the old Gaea, and pledged to herself never to lose it front of _anyone_ ever again. Yes, even Kurt. She didn't care if he hated her now, she wasn't going to lose it again. _Ever_. And, she thought wryly, the only reason he _wanted_ her to lose control was that he could hold her. She grumbled on this for a while until she heard him leave. Then she left too. She headed directly for Kitty's room, where she found the other teen on her bed, stretching. Diane smiled.

"You dance?" she asks politely. "Would you know where I could start taking my lessons again. I--used to dance." In fact, she thought as she looked around the smooth floored room.

"We could dance in here!" Kitty says excitedly. "I never have had anyone here to dance with. This'll be exciting." She glides to her CD player and puts on some music. It was Brittany Spears' Stronger. Diane listened to it for a few moments, while Kitty watched her a reaction to the music. It almost brought stinging hot tears to Diane's eyes. This was her song. She listened guiltily for another moment to get the beat, then she danced. Kitty stared with an open mouth as Diane danced with a grace far beyond her own. She knew for a fact that Diane had never heard it, so why was she doing perfect steps as though she'd practiced to it for her whole life? When song ended, Kitty clapped and Diane bowed. She looked around for a moment, wondering where she was. When she realized that she'd been dancing, she shook her head.

"Wowowowowowow!" Kitty gasped. "That was _great!_" She skips around the room. "Here." she says, grabbing a CD. "I'll do _my_ dance routine." She slips the CD into the player and turns it on. Diane recognized the strong beat of N*Sync's Bye Bye Bye. Kitty danced nicely, swaying to the music she'd been practicing to for several moments. Then she turned off the music when she had an idea. Diane clapped. "Hey Diane! Ijusthadagreatidea!" She twirled around the room. "We can dance to Stronger together since you like that song so much! You can teach me all of those moves that you did that I didn't know. You're so much better than me. Didyouknowthat?" She said all this very fast. Diane managed to get a nod in edgewise. "We'll ask Stevie. She's my dance teacher. We can do a thing with her and you can be one of her students and maybe we could do a class together? Howdoesthatsound?"

"Woah, Kitty, slow down. I'd love to. But first, let's get something to munch on. Then I can show you dance steps and we can plan the choreography…" her voice drifted off as the pair of them went down the hall.

Nightcrawler sighed enviously. He'd been eavesdropping on the ceiling -not nice, he knew-. He was jealous of Kitty of all things. Diane certainly wouldn't let him be even that good of a friend. However, he reasoned, maybe it was just a different kind of friendship…but he had to admit that he wished that she would let him be the kind of the friend it seemed that Kitty was. He bamfed to the floor and then bamfed to the kitchen. He yelled boo as he appeared next to the two young women, who were scrounging a snack.

Diane turned her head to look at Nightcrawler. She caught his eye, and let her eyes glitter just enough to tell he she _knew_ he'd been on the ceiling. Then she acted surprised. "Hello, Nightcrawler." she said serenely. "We're just getting a snack, you?"

Kitty was still a little bouncy, but she smiled at Kurt. Kurt frowned at Kitty, trying not to let his jealousy showing through. How he wished Diane would go get a snack with _him_.

"Me?" he asked. "Just bothering you." Then he was gone.

"Bothering is right." Diane muttered grabbing some chips and dip. Kitty looked inquisitive as she grabbed some sodas.

"You don't like him? All you stuff _is_ in his room…"

Diane growled irritably. "_Don't_ remind me. I had no say in the matter. Now my whole room smells of smoke because he teleported it all in there." *Grumblehmph*

"Oooooooooooh, dear. I heard you slamming doors when you found his note."

Diane came up short. "You knew about it?" She asked.

"Of course. I…Uhm…" she trailed off, certainly not about to tell Gaea that she'd helped move it up the one floor. "He told me." she said quickly. Diane nodded.

"Lets go. I want to listen to it again so I can hear more places for fancy moves." She skipped back to Kitty's room. Kitty trotted after her, dropping the sodas onto a bed and then searching her CDs and putting the Spears in. She turned it on, and looked at Diane. Diane was sitting cross-legged on the bed and swaying with the heavy beat. She was _way_ concentrated and Kitty could tell by the way she moved she was putting moves in, in her mind. When the song finished, she got up and nodded at Kitty. Kitty pressed repeat, eager to Diane dance again. Diane danced right from the start this time. She preformed _perfectly_…in Kitty's eyes, and added a lot more steps and fancy moves that weren't in the first dance, and that Kitty had never seen in her life. When it was over, Diane nodded happily.

"That'll do." she murmurs. "Not to difficult for you, and still challenging for me. We still have to talk to Stevie. Can you call her and set up a time when we can meet her? In the meantime, I'll show you how to do the steps you don't know. Kitty nodded and skipped out. Diane poked her head out the door and said, "Okay, Nightcrawler, you can come out now."

Nightcrawler bamfed into the room a little sheepishly. He turned to face the dangerously calm glitter in Diane's eyes. Instead Diane's ears were red and her eyes were full from listening to the song three times.

"Why, leibchen!" he exclaimed, "What's wrong?"  
"It's me." she whispered simply. Nightcrawler didn't have to ask what. He had been thinking the exact same thing as he listened to the song outside the door. He patted her shoulder awkwardly and grinned.

"You're supposed to relate to songs. That's what they're for."

"No. You're not supposed to cry." she said closing her eyes. "Not me."

"Hey, look, I cried when I read Emily Dickens's poem Nobody."

"You did not!" Her head came up, surprised.

"Yes, I did."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

Nightcrawler sighed. "I still can't argue with you." he complained.

"Big whoop." Diane replied, playfully slapping at him. Nightcrawler ducked, grinning widely. This is more what he had in mind. Still, he knew, she wasn't about to let him kiss her, not here, not now, and he sincerely doubted that she'd ever let him again. Diane suddenly turned away. Her ears were red again, but her eyes weren't full, so he guessed that she was embarrassed. He put his three fingered her hand on hers in a gesture of reassurance. Kitty chose that moment to walk back in through the wall. Her eyes flicked between the two of them, then their hands. Diane's ears flamed again, and Kitty also flushed. Nightcrawler did the first thing that came to his mind. He disappeared. Diane was dazed. She held her hand to her cheek, then turned to Kitty once the color in her ears had receded.

"You called Stevie?" she asks in her normal tone. She got a mute nod. Then Kitty was up and running off again.

"She said we could do one together, she said you sound like a great dancer and she'd really like to meet you, so won't you come to my dance lesson next week, and she says it's alright if you teach me the steps, and we can practice, isn'tthatgreat?don'tyoureallythinkso?"

Diane nodded happily. "Sounds _great_." She turns the song on, then presses pause. "You start like this." She pulls one leg up along side of her face. She presses the button for off, deciding to show Kitty the dance, slower.

They spent to whole afternoon practicing, Kurt thought, as he went to go get dinner. He reappeared in his room with his food, but to his surprise, Amanda Stefon was sitting on his bed. She didn't look happy. Kurt glanced in the other room. Diane had collapsed onto her bed and fallen asleep in about two seconds. Kurt turned back around, red under his fur. Ohhhhhh dear. This was not the right time for Amanda to show up here.

Amanda's eyes swept over Diane too. "Make up your mind." she hissed. "Her or me."

Diane laid sprawled on her bed. Without opening her eyes she called, "Will you two pipe down? I'm trying to sleep." as though she didn't know they were talking about her.

Amanda snarled a curse at the sleeping Gaea. She raised her arms and ancient magic swirled around her. "You haven't seen the last of _me_." she hissed furiously at both of them. Then the magic swirled, thicker, faster, brighter. She was gone, leaving traces of colorful magic in the air, and a stunned Kurt to fall backwards onto his bed. Diane took one look at his face and stood up and went to him. She was shocked. She was the reason Amanda had just broke up with Kurt. She didn't even want him! At least, she didn't think she did…Kurt took one look at her face and burst into tears. Diane put her arms around him awkwardly. This was all her fault, and she was going to do anything she could to make him feel better.

Kurt had cried himself out before he noticed -with a start- who as holding him. Then he relaxed again.

Diane, once she was sure that he was done crying, let go of him. Kurt, however, had other plans. He refused to let go. Diane sighed and buried her face in his smoky hair. "I'm so sorry." she murmurs. "She was wrong. I'm not _that_ kind of…" her ears were little brighter pink that usual. "Tell her that."  
Nightcrawler shook his head. "She's right."

"She's not…at least for me." Diane groaned inwardly at the meaning of his words.

"Would you care to make her right?" he asked hopefully. Gaea looked down at him.

"I don't need it." she told him softly.

"Yes you do. People never know what is best for them. Isn't that weird?"

"I told you before. I need a friend, not a lover." She put her hands down in a gesture of finality.

"Oh, yes you _do_." Nightcrawler insisted. "And I don't intend to give up." Diane sighed. She almost gave in. She had discovered, last time, that she thoroughly enjoyed his kisses.

"I'm not giving up." he repeated, and then pressed his lips against hers.

Diane should have pushed him away. She really should have. But she couldn't bring herself to do it when he was feeling so miserable. Besides. This was nice. She sighed, and was a little sorry when he moved away. "Your teeth are sharp." she murmured softly. Then she fell back against his bed and began to drift off, not really noticing when he curled up against her.

Wolverine chuckled to himself. Despite what either of them said he could see something was going on between the misfit and their new guest. He knew misfit had noticed, and he also knew that Diane simply refused to see it. He ambled down the hall, and when he passed 'crawler's door, he identified the scents of both of them asleep. He chuckled again. For about the fiftieth time in the past twenty minutes, he wondered what was going on. It wasn't what everyone else thought, that was for certain, and there was something about their new X-man that told him that it was a lot deeper than puppy love. He wondered silently why Nightcrawler hadn't noticed that the girl was lonely when she turned up at the mansion. For heaven's sake, he could almost _smell_ it on her. When he ambled down the end of the hall and went down the stairs, he chuckled again. Kitty was still practicing her moves. Cripes! She'd been practicing all day, and even now, when Diane was exhausted, she still danced. He heard a tune drift from somewhere outside. It didn't sound right, so he went out to investigate. He had to lean on the door frame, because he was all of a sudden too tired to stay on his feet. He slid to the floor, out cold.

Kitty turned off the music and collapsed on her bed, breathing hard. She really loved the new steps Diane had taught her, and she loved the dance as well. Then, as she lay there, her genius's mind wandered over Diane and her personality, along with what Kitty knew of her now. She heard Wolverine pass her door with a chuckle, and she sighed. Diane was such a strange person. She kept a close friendship with her, but she kept shoving Kurt away, even when they lived in the same room. Kitty knew Kurt had done it without Diane's permission, but still, Diane hadn't moved all her stuff back, so…Didn't mean that she'd accepted him? But then she suck her head through the ceiling. They were curled up together, asleep. She sank back onto her bed. That was weird. When they were around others, Diane almost pretended he didn't exist. Kitty sighed and started to drift off, hearing music.

Cyclops was working on his motorcycle in the garage. He was confused. The X-men hadn't had anything to do for a while, and he was afraid that their new guest and newest member was getting the wrong impression of them. She'd never seen them work in the 'room. She must think they're just lazy people who say they did stuff a long time ago, but didn't really help people. He scrubbed a non-existent spot off the side of the shiny Harley. That brought his mind to the odd way that their guest was acting. She pretended she felt absolutely nothing, but that was impossible. She also completely ignored Nightcrawler, but that was weird too, because she'd given a life-debt to him, which was a sign of high honor. Plus, she _lived_ in his room. A haunting tune drifted across the air. Kitty must still be dancing with Diane, he mused. He shook his head. Weird. All of a sudden, he was tired. He leaned against the seat of his Harley. Well..it was probably…alright…to…..drop…..off……for…..a…….

Ororo was in her attic, watering her tropical plants with a little black cloud that poured water over them. She turned her head as a tune came whistling up on a breath of wind. It wasn't something Kitty normally listened to, and it certainly wasn't what Diane and Kitty were dancing to. Storm held her hand to her forehead, sitting on her couch, tired from her session in the danger room. The black cloud suddenly disappeared.

Colossus was in the danger room, working on some stuff. He had already finished the hydraulic press, and was working on the robot. He tossed the mechanical robot in a judo move, and went onto the presser. He held it up as it tried to smash into him. He though he was hearing flute music, but he shook his head and kept up his arms. Suddenly he was too weak to hold onto his armored form. Just as he collapsed, the thought occurred to him that he be crushed. The presser began to slam down. Then all the lights in the room went out and the presser stopped.

A dark figure holding something long tiptoed out of the dark observation deck. Then he entered the entrance chamber, where all the X-men, including Gaea, were laid out in costume. The figure began to laugh, and the sound echoed throughout the whole chamber.


	2. The First Enemy

Gaea woke up inside a chair where she was strapped **Okay, I'm really sorry, but I just realized that I left out a whole huge fight with an enemy. Please don't flame me, I did put it in.******

**Back to business. Thank you to the few people who /have/ reviewed my story, such as...**   
**~*Chaya*~ WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP PESTERING ME, I'M WRITING AS FAST AS I CAN! (Sorry, she's an RL friend)**   
**Wahoonie-I'm looking for the file, but I think ~*Chaya*~ may have deleted it off her computer, in which case I'll rewrite it under another story, 'kay?**   
**Seriously BIG Nightcrawler fan-Thank you so much, I enjoy writing things people like.**   
**Jean1-Thenkyu. I tried to ake Diane as interesting as I could**

Gaea woke up inside a chair where she was strapped. She attempted to wiggle her cut-off arms, but she couldn't budge. She had a nasty feeling that she couldn't use her powers either. She turned her head. The others, all in a line, all in their costumes, were held similarly, and Cyclops had a ruby-quartz mask over his face. She saw the others beginning to stir. Nightcrawler opened his eyes next. 

"Caer tywy fincayra." she hissed under her breath. She watched as Nightcrawler tried to 'port, but couldn't. The others were stirring now, and Diane continued to utter a continuous stream of a fluent and beautiful language. "Vedwyd cayredd myrdinn, gwynedd wyydfa." 

Nightcrawler was dismayed. He couldn't even move. Couldn't port, couldn't anything. He turned to peer at Gaea, who was muttering in some strange language. "Fraulin?" he asked, puzzled. 

"Gododin catann hud lledrith wyddan bellawn wen cabri dravia fincayra dagda gawr." Gaea muttered. She turned to Nightcrawler. "Old Celtic." she explained. She didn't tell him it was a muttered and continuous stream of curses at their captor. 

Nightcrawler shrugged. "You casting a spell?" he asks. 

"Rhita emyrs branwen llyr!" she snapped back at him. Then, once everyone was awake, a large screen in front of them lit up. It was a man with a hooknose and a dazzling smile. He was wearing a robinhood's cap with a pheasant's feather in it. He was carrying a pipe. 

**"Good evening, my guests. I am The Piper. I can create moods and feelings through the music of my pipe. I simply captured you because I wanted to see what you could do. If you can escape my trap, then I will set you free and never bother you again, but if you don't…what can I say? I can create death with my pipe. Any questions before I release you into the trap I have made?"**

No one had any. "Gwent brycheiniog powys fadog vedwyd." Gaea snapped at the screen with their offending captor on it. 

****"Tsk, tsk, young lady. Watch your mouth!" then the screen went blank, and the locks on their chairs clipped free. Everyone jumped to their feet. They all looked at each other, and Cyclops took off the mask and slipped on his emergency visor. They all looked over each other, asking if everyone was alright. Suddenly the floors dropped out from under their feet, and they all fell into pits. 

As Gaea fell and she considered stopping in midair and floating back up to the top, when she saw a bright flare as the room where they had been collapsed, locking them all down under the rubble and in the pits. There really was no point in going up there now, she couldn't move all that rubble without the help of the others and their powers. But she forgot everything else as soon as she looked around the room where she had fallen. It was empty. A featureless sphere of white. Diane's pulse quickened, but nothing came at her like in the danger room. Something seemed to swallow her, and she curled up on the floor…or at least she _thought_ it was the floor… 

Nightcrawler fell. He reached out around him for a handhold or a wall to grip, but he felt nothing. He looked up as the ceiling collapsed, and then down. He landed on his feet in a room like a fishbowl. It had smooth, frictionless sides, and he couldn't climb up, or stick to the ceiling. He had not idea where he was, so he couldn't 'port out. He looked around quickly, sizing up everything. He was about to blind 'port, when something clicked. He whirled… 

As Kitty fell she phased so that whatever she hit wouldn't hurt her. She landed in a huge forest. She slipped through trees and rocks, until she landed. The she stood up. The forest was gorgeous. The light shone through the misty trees and made a green halo around her. When she looked up, she didn't see the top of the pit she'd fallen into. 

As Storm fell, she teased a tiny wind so that she could float harmlessly to the floor. However, she never landed on a floor. She ended up in the middle of the worst storm she had ever seen in her life. It raged completely out of control around, stray wind picking her up and tossing her against a wall, where she thudded heavily. She raised her power, trying to control the monster hurricane, but it wouldn't bend to her will. She was thrown around the room by the rogue winds, as she tried to think. She couldn't control it, and if it kept this up, it would bash her into little pieces… 

Colossus turned to his armored form as he fell so that he wouldn't be injured when he landed. He didn't land. He was in some kind of anti-grav chamber. He couldn't stand, he could only tumble through space. He couldn't concentrate when he was tumbling free, and he definitely didn't know what to smash to get him out of this… 

Cyclops landed with a thud. He was in a dark and damp cave. He ventured deeper, down one twisting turn, and then through another. He caught a glint of metal as he headed down deeper into the earth. Suddenly he broke into a huge cavern that was positively covered with mirrors. A mirrored door slammed behind him. There was something funny about these mirrors… 

Wolverine landed with a thump. He instinctively extended his claws. He looked around the room. Where was he? He was on a blank plain, heading as far as the eye could see. Something was funny about his. He knew there were walls somewhere. He tried to put his finger...or claw…on what was wrong, but he couldn't touch on it… 

Diane was completely helpless. She was curled in a ball, something she didn't understand kept gnawing at her. She whimpered… 

Nightcrawler stared. A door that he hadn't seen opened. In came a giant mechanical bear. He ported away from it, but it simply turned around and headed for him again. He knew he couldn't 'port away for ever, and he really didn't have any protection from it… 

Kitty started into the forest with a shrug. She walked for a while, wondering at the beauty. She was so wrapped up in it, she didn't hear the clicking of pincers above her head. She only noticed when something huge, hairy, and many-legged leaped in front of her. She screamed… 

Storm slammed into another wall, she kept trying to use her power to control the storm, but it was made by man, and was controlled by machines. It wasn't real weather, so she her power had no effect… 

Colossus struck out around him with armored fists. He hit something solid, but then he floated away again. There _were_ walls here! He floated around again, his hands out in front of him, looking for the wall again. 

Cyclops looked frowning at all the reflections of him. He decided to try something. He fired one of his optic blasts. He ducked. Now her _knew_ what was wrong with the mirrors. They had ruby quartz in them, so they only reflected his blasts. The ruby red energy bounces around the room endlessly. Cyclops knew that he'd better not fire anymore, or he'd have too many to dodge… 

Wolverine was still in the plain, where nothing seemed to be attacking him. He still tried to picture what was troubling. Then he noticed something that made his hair stand on end. The whole room had absolutely _no_ smell. He couldn't find the walls if he couldn't smell… 

Diane was still curled in a ball, in her smooth white tomb. She understood now, the feeling of was of a gut wrenching, heart stopping, painful loneliness. And she had no way of pushing it away. The empty space merely reminded her that she had no friends, no help, nobody, all alone… 

Nightcrawler had to do it. He had to blind 'port out of there. He couldn't port away from the mechanical bear forever. Hoping for the best, he 'ported to the opposite side of the room from the bear. Then he fixed a image of white… 

Kitty's scream faded into the uncaring and yet still beautiful forest. She phased at the same moment, so the pincers that reached for her went right through her body. She backed away from the giant spider, another scream edging it's way out of her throat… 

Storm decided that the way to get out of here was not to _control_ the storm, but to hold it at bay. She created a fierce wind that blew the storm away from her. She found one of the metal walls of her tomb. She fired bolt after bolt of lightning into it, hoping it would melt it before the other storm burst past her wind… 

Colossus turned his head. Something in the gray was brighter. A wall! It was glowing with light, electricity was crackling over it's surface. _STORM!_ Since the electricity didn't affect his armored form, he waited impatiently to float over to the crackling surface of the wall… 

Cyclops ran the possibilities of the mirrored room over in his mind, ducking every once and a while as his first ruby blast bounced around him. He examined the bolt, watching and calculating the mirrors it bounced off. He noticed, after a few rounds of bouncing, that there was _one_ mirror that it didn't bounce off of… 

Wolverine stood in the middle of the field. He cocked his head. He though he'd heard a scream. There! He listened again. Another! He ran in the direction of the sound, until he crashed into a wall that he hadn't seen… 

Gaea lay there, hoping, wishing that someone, anyone, would come and get her out of this white, lonely room… 

Nightcrawler ported. He screamed, then reappeared in a completely white sphere. Where was he? When he'd done that before, he'd ended up outside… 

Kitty heard a thump behind her, but she was too busy dodging the killer spider to notice. She always danced just out of it's reach, phasing and running though it every time it cornered her against a tree… 

Storm could feel her wind weakening, her lightning was growing weaker, and the wall wasn't melting. She continued to pour herself into holding the storm and creating bright lightning bolts… 

Colossus could see that the lightning on the wall was dimming. He had to get there fast, before it disappeared and he didn't know where the wall was anymore. As he got closer, her heard a roaring on the other side of the wall… 

Seeing his chance, Cyclops dashed forward towards the one mirror the bolt never bounced off of. He came up to it, panting slightly. Then he stopped to rest, knowing he was safe here… 

Wolverine allowed himself a smile as he pushed his claws out. He felt along the wall to make sure there was no door or something. Then he held his hand back, ready to punch through the wall… 

Gaea lay on the floor. She thought she heard something, but it was just her imagination, telling her there was someone here so she wouldn't be lonely anymore… 

Nightcrawler gasped. Gaea was on the floor, bunched up as though hurt. He crawled down the wall to her side, all the while wondering how in the heck he got here… 

Kitty dodged and ducked. Suddenly her back slammed into a wall. She couldn't move now. The monster closed in for the kill… 

Storm's wind was weakening by the minute. She could feel the wind of the rogue storm starting to whip her again, but she continued to send bright bolts into the wall. She heard someone on the other side of the wall… 

Colossus, ignoring the lightning rippling across the surface of the wall, smashed a whole in it. A fierce wind whipped into the room where he floated. All of a sudden, he collapsed to the floor. He'd destroyed the anti-grav… 

Cyclops felt the mirror, looking for clues as to how he could get out. Suddenly he began to stare into the glass. Yes, this one _was_ different. There was no faintly red tinge to it, like all the others. It didn't have ruby quartz in it! he could punch a whole out of the building. He flipped a switch on his glasses, and the glass shattered, along with the wall behind it. He stepped into the room beyond… 

Wolverine slammed a whole though the wall…straight into Kitty. At the same time, a ruby optic blast burst out of the wall behind him. He managed to duck as the blast went straight where his claws had just ripped a hole… 

Gaea looked up, gasping in surprise. She _had_ heard something. It was Nightcrawler! She yelled something unintelligible, and grabbed him. "Are you _real_?" she asked. Without waiting for answer, she kissed him as hard as she could, sorry for anything mean she had said to him, anytime. 

Nightcrawler gasped. "I could say the same for you leibling." he said when she was quite finished. He hugged her tightly. "But I'd say I'm real enough, judging by the pain of 'porting blind." 

Kitty -luckily- happened to be phasing as the pincers of the spider, the claws of Wolverine, and Cyclops's optic blast had crashed through her. Luckily they killed the monster though. She could hear more in the forest, and, gasping, she scrambled though the hole, too tired to phase. 

Storm gasped and flung herself through the hole just as her wind petered to nothing. She fell, almost fainting, into the arms of Colossus. 

Colossus carefully caught Storm. He set her onto the gray floor, and bent the metal back as best he could so the wind didn't howl quite as loud in the room. 

Cyclops caught Kitty. "What was _that_?" He asked. He didn't wait. "We've got to find the others. I'll just…" he fired once, and a sizzling whole appeared in what seemed to be empty space. There was a white room beyond. 

Wolverine grumbled something, and headed for the new hole. There were two people in there. He identified them as Nightcrawler and Gaea. "YO! Misfit! Shorty! Over here!" 

Gaea gasped something against Nightcrawler's fur. Nightcrawler nodded, and picked her up, because, between the two of them, he was sure her legs wouldn't walk her. Wolverine looked worried despite himself. 

"You alright?" he asked Gaea. Gaea nodded, but refused to let go of Nightcrawler. Cyclops nodded. 

"We're only missing Storm and Colossus. Let me try this again." He switches his glasses and fired a steady, piercing a line all around the circular room. "There!" he yelled, pointing to a gray room somewhere in the distance. Wolverine nodded. 

"It's them. COLOSSUS!" he yelled, and the armored form ran towards them, holding an unconscious Storm in his arms. 

Cyclops didn't look happy. "That's three of our fighting team down!" Suddenly The Piper's voice echoed around the chamber. 

****"Very good, X-men. Now for the group effort." 

All of a sudden, a bunch of robots with spears came running from the torn walls. Gaea was huddled along the wall, biting her hands and protecting her unconscious friends. She watched as they fought. Cyclops blasted one robot after another, but they were only replaced. The same with Wolverine slashing, and Colossus smashing. Nightcrawler really wasn't much help in a fight with robots. He was knocked out, and a robot help his spear up, about to stab him. Gaea yelled in defiance of her life-debtor. She held up her hands, and, to her surprise, as well as everyone else's, he began to dematerialize. He rematerialized behind her with her other resting friends. It was then she noticed she hadn't moved his clothes. Her hears turned a fiery red as the robot prodded his empty suit, confused. Then Diane started to glow. She was the only one of the X-men who had not had her powers drained. She held up her hands and began to throw bolts of pure power. It melted the robots. Soon they began to dwindle. She threw a few more bolts before solidifying the air underneath everyone, and lifting the whole thing. The robots below wave their spears. She rose them right out of the ground, and they found themselves outside a concert hall with a large banner advertising THE great Piper. Once above ground, she collapsed against Nightcrawler, her power drained. "Lledra, druma…" she drifted off into unconsciousness. 

**Thank you so much for reading this, I know you love it so much you're going to review, right? RIGHT? Right. Thank you, and...as always, if you have ideas, send them to Dragonkeeper10@hotmail.com**


	3. Mindlinks and Lonliness

Diane woke, for about the fiftieth time, in her new bed in the mansion. She looked around in panic, then realized that Nightcrawler was in the room, on a chair. When he realized that she was awake, he sighed and got up.

"You're awake! That's good. I need some sleep. You've been sleeping for two days."

"Why couldn't you sleep?"

"But…whenever you woke up, you would scream because you were alone…Don't you remember?"

"No. That's funny. Two whole days? Vedwyd!"

"Where did you learn Old Celtic?" Nightcrawler asked, puzzled. "It sounds like you're casting a spell. At least, that's what Amanda sounded like…"

"That's because most old spells are in Celtic, you dolt." Diane began to hum. A song had come into her head because of the room in the opera house. The words had only been in a book, but Diane put them to a Celtic type melody.

"Don't leave me alone, a cry in the night.

Of anguish heart-striking, of soul killing fright,

Live for my living, or else I must die

Don't leave me alone, a world heard that cry…

Don't leave me alone, a dragon-heard cry

Of heart-breaking sadness, of un-heard of strife

If you're not living, no point to my life

Don't leave me alone, the dragons know why…"

Nightcrawler stared. "No one told _me_ you had such a nice voice…"

Diane almost blushed. "Oh? You like it?" she asks, almost shyly. A Celtic tune from a _long_ time ago burst from her lips, again haunting and sad.

"Hy gododin catann hue

Hud a lledrith mal wyddin

Guance ae bellawn wen cabri

Varigal don Fincayra

Dravia, dravia Fincayra."

Suddenly Diane lowered her eyes. The song was about a faraway island called Fincayra, and it was a place for sea-lost travelers to land. A safe land of song and beauty, the Celts believed this was where the people that were lost at sea rested safely. It was a haven for the lost, and a safe-hold for the drifters of the world. It reminded Gaea strongly of the mansion that she now called home.

"Well. You _do_ have a very nice voice." Nightcrawler said gently. He could see that both songs had touched his friend. "By the way, what did you do to me after that robot knocked me out. Several people quite laughingly told me that whatever you did to me, you didn't do to my clothes." He turned red under his fur.

Diane's ears flame. "Wellllll…" She deliberated for a few moments. "I don't know. I all I _do_ know is that I was so flaming mad when one of them was about to stab you…I just…willed you somewhere else. I guess I kind of…forgot…about your costume. But," she said briskly, "Now it really doesn't matter does it? You're alive. That's what counts." Her ears were still flaming, but it wasn't really noticeable under her thick blonde hair. She laid back on her bed, exhausted still. Nightcrawler edged over, a little worried. When he saw that she was just still tired, he grinned sheepishly. He pushed hair away from her face.

"You're cute when you're tired." he commented softly. "Not that you aren't cute other times." He considered kissing her, but wasn't completely sure. He thought that she'd only kissed him because she was so happy to see someone, anyone. Diane sighed contentedly. She fell asleep again with one hand on his. Nightcrawler decided that he really needed some sleep. He lay down next to her, and let her calm, steady breaths lull him to sleep.

Professor X was in his wheelchair, with the other X-men around him in a meeting, with the exception f Gaea, who was still resting from the ordeal, and Nightcrawler, who was taking care of her.

"It seems that there was something in the room that made Diane feel very lonely. " He murmurs, as much to himself, as to the other X-men. "Now she can't stand being alone. She'll always have to have someone near her, or in her mind. I can create a psionic rapport between her and Nightcrawler, and that should solve the problem if they get separated in a fight."

"What in the flamin' !$%#! did she do t' th' misfit?" Wolverine asked. He was rather intrigued. It could solve a lot of problems.

"Yes. You're right Wolverine. It is an interesting ability. I have been thinking it over since you got back and told your story. I _think_. And this may just be a hunch, that she just created him in another place. I _think_ that she can also create doubles of herself, but they wouldn't have the personality of their twin. If she tried to create a complete and exact copy of someone, she couldn't, so it would only move that person. Recreating them in a different spot."

"Kind of like Star Trek! Yeah! Beam me up, Scotty!" Kitty finished. "That's what it looked like anyway…" she trailed off at a glare from the professor.

"Yes, Kitty, kind of like that." The professor assented. Then he sighed. "We really should have a session in the danger room with all of us. We need to figure out how to work together. However…" he said, reaching out with his mind. "They are both currently asleep. We shouldn't wake them. They're both bone tired, Gaea from power drainage, and Nightcrawler from worry." There were a few chuckles, and the X-men began to drift out. Wolverine, however didn't leave. He stood near the chair until everyone was gone.

"Been meanin' t' talk t' ya, Charlie."

"Yes, Wolverine?" the Professor asked a trifle impatiently.

"I was wondrin' if ya knew what was goin' on b'tween misfit and shorty."

"Wolverine…that is not the kind of question you ask people. I hope you haven't been asking or bothering either of them. It's rather…blunt."

"Look, Chuck. I'm a blunt kinda person. I'm jus' wondrin'. An' I think ya know."

"Yes Wolverine. It is rather hard to ignore the emotions from Diane. They are very strong. She's lonely, but you already knew that. She likes Nightcrawler, but you knew that too. There is a different level to their relationship because of the life-debt that Diane gave him. There is an ancient Shi'ar magic attached to the giving of a life-debt, it ties people together. Against their will if that is the case. Mostly, life-debts are given gender-to-gender because of the Shi'ar tradition, but I guess, if the genders are opposite…" Professor X shrugged.

Wolverine soaked all this with a wry grin. "Ah. I hear ya'. But shorty…her emotions are strong?"

"Yes. They are all the more powerful because she hides them. Certainly you didn't think she didn't have any? That's impossible for any human, mutant though they may be. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Diane awoke in a comfortable bed. She had a momentary panic when she thought she was alone, but she sighed and slumped in relief when her eyes found Nightcrawler across her large bed, sound asleep with his tail curled around her wrist.

When she opened her eyes again, she knew right away that there were others here. Professor X was there with Nightcrawler, who was watching her apprehensively. She blinked herself awake and looked him in the eyes. "What?" She asked. The professor wheeled around to the head of her bed, and Nightcrawler followed him.

"Diane." The professor said softly. "It's nice to see you awake. Now, if I'm correct, you…don't like to be alone." Diane nodded mutely, wondering what was coming next. "I can solve that, if you'll let me." Diane nodded again. "I think, that to solve that, someone doesn't really have to _be_ there, you just have to feel them there. If I create a psionic rapport with you and once of the other X-men, you'll never be alone again. As you can see." He gestured at Nightcrawler. "We have a willing guinea pig right here. But I need your permission."

Diane's eyes widened a little. The first words out of her mouth were, "Does that mean he can read my thoughts?"

"Yes, unfortunately. You can learn to block his thoughts, and he yours, however. You can also talk mind to mind, which is useful in a fight."

Diane thought this over for several long minutes. She had known about the ancient ties in a life-debt when she had given hers, and yet she had till given in to the blue-skinned X-man. She didn't _quite _want him in on her thoughts, so she said, "You promise to learn to block it? And DO it?" Nightcrawler nodded. "Okay then, as long as it doesn't hurt."

The professor nodded, and put a gentle hand on each of his students' heads. A faint glow of psionic power built around his hands a flowed into both of them. When he took his hands away, Diane shook her head violently.

"It like Impression." she murmured. She sorted though the ambling thoughts of Nightcrawler's, the most predominant of which was !!!!!!!!!! She focused on a mental cue from the professor, and built a wall. So was Nightcrawler. She could feel him doing it. Wasn't that odd?

__

~*Nightcrawler?*~

**_Diane?**_

~*_NIGHTCRAWLER! It worked. I'm not alone. I'll never be alone again!*~_

The professor had quietly, and wisely wheeled out.

__

~*This is weird. Does it feel weird to you too? Wait, that was stupid. This is confusing.*~

**Yes, fraulin. It is strange. But think, this is what Professor X gets all the time.**

~*I like it.*~

**It certainly is interesting, leibling.**

Diane blushed a furious red ~something Nightcrawler had never seen her do, nor would he ever again~ when she finally caught what the word meant.

"Why do you call me that?" She asked aloud, breaking mental contact. The color had receded, but her cheeks were still a little rosy with embarrassment.

"That's what I call everyone, my dear. All females anyway." He sighed and put an arm around her, faking sadness. "What? Are you telling me you don't like it?"

"N-no." she stammered. She put her head on his shoulder. "Well." she said softly. "The professor really wrapped that up didn't he?" she said, not giving any indication of what her words mean. Nightcrawler looks inquisitive. "Oh. Well. There's kind of…an ancient magic attached to a life debt." she said quickly. "It brings the two together…" She hid her face so he couldn't see her cheeks get rosy again.

Nightcrawler shrugged. "I have no problem with that. I see what you mean though. By giving us a psionic rapport…"

__

**YOU don't have a problem with that do you?**

~*N-no…*~

**Well good.**

Then he kissed her, softly. She didn't really resist. Instead she brought her arms back around his neck and sighed, kissing him back.

__

~*If you insist.*~

**I do.**

~*As long as you don't…*~

**That's against Gott in Himmel. I wouldn't.**

~*Mmmmm…Watch your fangs.*~

The next kiss was longer, and the one after that longer still.

Nightcrawler was glad that he now shared a rapport with Diane. It was so much _easier_ for him to understand her. _There's so much that she doesn't SAY! _ Well, at least now he considered her like other people. Even though she didn't show it, he could fell the slightest traces of her emotions. He did have his block up, but as the Professor had once told him, that the more you hid your emotions, the stronger they became. He had categorized her emotions in colors. Mad was a blinding yellow, sad was a deep purple, lonely was white, happy was a light greenish blue, scared was orange, then there was something, something that he felt only when all the X-men were together. A deep, midnight blue that shone metallic. He couldn't quite place it. He had felt it once before, once, when he had kissed her. It had taken him a few days to ignore the stares from people, as they talked mind-to-mind. They obviously thought this was strange, and when he asked why, they only shrugged. "Its weird. Your eyes…you're just looking into space, unless you're doing something else." People didn't like that they'd sit at dinner and eat, not saying a word to anyone, yet obviously having lengthy conversations. Well, they had no idea that these conversations sometimes included the professor or one of the others that the professor had tapped so they could talk.

__

~*Good morning, sleepyhead.*~

**Good morning yourself, liebling.**

!*Good mornin' ya' two.*!

~*Wolverine?*~

!*That's right babe.*!

**Scheisse! LOGAN!**

~*That's a first.*~

** Evening, Fraulin.**

*-*This is new. I used to talk to Jean, but this is different.*-*

~*Storm! Hiya.*~

**Ororo?**

~*What's going on around here?*~

*!*Hey, Diane! Our lesson is in 20 minutes.*!*

~*Kitty!*~

**Katzchen…**

*!*Hey, your mind voices sound weird.*!*

*0*Anybody there?*0*

~*I'm beginning to feel a total lack of privacy here.*~

**You're not alone.**

*0*Hey, I can't read your thoughts you know. I can only talk to you.*0*

~*Cyclops…*~

**We really need to talk to mein herr about this…**

*=*Hey! What did he just do to me?*=*

**COLLOSSUS!?**

*=*Yes, comrad?*=*

~*Sigh*~

*=*I take it that I'm not exactly wanted.*=*

~*You get the drift.*~

**You're mean, fraulin.**

~*I know. You love it.*~

**I suppose I can't deny that…**

*=*How do I get out of this?*=*

~*Sigh…*~

Diane was happy. She was never alone, even when she was sleeping. She could tell some of the stronger emotions of Nightcrawler's. She had done the best to block it, but…she couldn't help but notice how much he cared about her. She knew he could tell her emotions as well, because he never made any comments anymore on how he couldn't understand how she hid her emotions. She had a sneaking fear of this, and she tried her best to make that wall between their minds strong. But something always held her back. She never made it _so _strong that he couldn't get traces of her emotions. She had mentally slapped herself several times for this, but it never really did her any good.

Diane rolled over. She'd been sleeping in her bed. It was morning, she could tell from the way the light slanted through her window. She could feel Kurt stirring in the other room. She got up and stretched wondering what would happen today. Then she changed into her new clothes that Kitty had helped her pick out. She liked them. They were all in bright colors that complimented her hair and skin well. As she walked out, she nudged Kurt with her mind to wake him up. He mentally grumbled at her about having a nice dream, then let her alone_._ When she entered the dining hall, she found the rest of the X-men there. She smiled and got her breakfast, sitting next to Kitty. Today she went with Kitty to Stevie's studio in the city. She was a little excited, and Kitty was positively bouncing. Diane kept a calm face, hoping to tone her friend's excitement down.

"Howcanyoubesocalm? Thisislikethebestthingeverdon'tyouknow?"

"Unless you haven't noticed, Kitty dear, I'm always calm."

__

**That isn't totally true you know.**

~*Oh, hush.*~

Diane grinned at him and then at Kitty. "So. What do we wear to this recital?" she said, pretending that she hadn't heard already…about 50 times.

"Don'tyoulistentoanythingIsay? We'llwearblackleotards,youcanborrowoneofmine."

"I _know_ Kitty, I'm just teasing. The lesson is right before lunch, so we can eat lunch with Stevie. You don't have to tell me again."

"IhavetoremembertobringmyCDbecauseSteviedoesn'thaveone."

"Katzchen, somehow I doubt you could forget." Kurt grumbled. He was, at the moment, wondering how anyone could be so hyper so early in the morning.

__

~*Because its Kitty.*~ Diane told him. That would take some getting used to, her answering his relatively unasked questions. He rolled his eyes at her and grumbled something, picking a piece of bacon off her plate and receiving a swat.

__

~*Off my food, you!*~ Nightcrawler rolled his eyes again.

__

**You're not eating it. I DO believe your just as excited as Kitty.**

Nightcrawler, now that he was awake, could feel the same deep blue metallic shimmer that he always felt when she was around the X-men. He tried to shrug it off, but it settled over his mind like a cloak. It took him a couple minutes, but he realized - with a exclamation that made others turn their heads- that it was love. The deepest kind of love, like the blue that represented it. People also stared as Diane's face flamed. She stood up abruptly, pushing her plate at Nightcrawler, and stormed out.

Nightcrawler stared after her, blinking furiously as a wall slammed into his mind. This time it was as strong as Diane could make it, and now Kurt couldn't even feel the slightest traces of her emotions. Ignoring the startled exclamations, and worried questions, he teleported to her room. She was there, face-down on her bed. He could see that her ears were still red, so he stood back until she whirled around to face him.

"You know it!"

"Mein leib…" he began, but she cut him off.

"_How_?"

"You…" he started again.

"_Me_?" she shrieked. "_ME_?"

"Yes…"

"No." she refused to believe that it was her fault. She had made her walls as strong as…

"There is nothing wrong with loving the X-men." he said before she could start shrieking at him again. "I do myself." She couldn't deny that. She'd felt it herself. But she did deny that, because she was an X-man, he loved her too.

"No." She shook her head violently.

"Why are you so stubborn. No one _cares_!"

"I care."

"That's what I call selfish."

"It is _not_."

"It is too. You just stormed out of there and ruined everyone's meal because _you cared._"

Diane, again, couldn't argue with that. "Why does this happen to me?" she asked helplessly. "No one else freaks out."

"Mein leib, that's just the way you are. They all understand that. Why can't _you_? You seem to think that the only way you can be accepted is if you act the same. They _understand_ that. They like you anyway. Can't you see that?"

"You don't like me." she said firmly, trying to make herself believe it. She didn't want him to love her. She didn't want it. No. She didn't need it.

"Far more than that, leibling. I love you."

"You do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

For once, Nightcrawler wins the argument. Instead of saying anything, he kisses her.

"Will you believe _that_?"

"No."

"Oh, yes you do. I can tell." he kisses her again. She gives up, for the first time in her life, admitting defeat.

"Stop it. I have to go to Kitty's lesson."

"Not for another couple hours."

"No."

"Yes. Don't be contrary. It doesn't suit you." He kisses her again, much longer, but still she doesn't struggle. Her wall loosens, and he can feel the blue behind it. He wraps his tail around her waist, pulling her closer. He makes no comment, but knows that she's letting him back into her mind.

__

~*That tickles.*~

**You love it.**

~*Now, THAT is something I won't deny.*~

**Much better.**

Kitty came running down the hall, frantically calling for her friend. They had about thirty minutes, and she needed to help Diane make a bun of her long, long hair. The door was open a crack. Kitty phased her head through. Diane was awake, curled up against a sleeping Kurt, looking disoriented but happy.

"Oh! Kitty! Is it time to go! Just a moment." She disengaged from both tail and arm, to the sleepy protests of Kurt.

~*Oh, hush up, you lazy bum.*~

"Oh, hurryhurryhurry. We have to do your hair, and then you need to put on the leotard, then Ororo will drive us down there…"

Diane, a little nervous to have someone rating her dance after so long, follows a skipping bouncing, hopping Kitty. They came to a small door in the wall of a huge building. She followed Kitty up the stairs. Then they entered a huge studio. Diane felt much better. She was where she belonged, in a smooth-floored room with a huge mirror covering one whole wall. She slid onto the floor in her new jazz slippers that she and Kitty had bought.

A black woman in the corner with beaded and braided hair, turned around. "Ah! Kitty. You must be Diane. I certainly heard a lot about you on the phone from Kitty. She seems to think you're the best dancer in the world, with the exception of me." She smiled at Kitty. "At least, that's what she told _me_."

"Ah." Diane inclined her head politely. "Kitty can be…enthusiastic…"

Stevie frowned a little at this reaction. She'd expected a chuckle, or at least a smile. She shrugged it off, but Kitty grabbed her arm, seeing that Stevie had noticed.

"Don't mind her Stevie. She just doesn't show her emotions. She sure does feel them, though."

Diane smiled a tiny, imperceptible smile, and nodded to Kitty. "Yes. If it bothers you…I'm sorry. I am what I am."

Stevie nodded. That would take some getting used to, she told herself, but so far, she like this quiet and graceful woman. "So. Kitty tells me you danced for her, to a Britney Spears song, Stronger. She said you used moves she'd never seen. You must have gone to a sophisticated dance place, because I've taught Kitty as much as I know."

Diane nodded serenely. "Yes. I went to one of the best in the state…until…" she choked on her own words. Stevie nodded, understanding. She had lost her chance to be a star when she'd had her accident.

"Anyway. I was wondering if you could do the dance for me, so I could see them."

"Oh! Sure."

Kitty took the CD out and put in the player, finding the song and pressing play. She noticed that Diane looked _very_ different in a leotard and on a smooth floor in a mirrored room. Much more professional. Diane danced. As always, she ceased to be Diane Fischer, and was Gaea, and the world was watching her. She came out of the daze to both Kitty and Stevie clapping. She bowed.

"That was very good. Kitty was right. You are very good. However, you need to stretch more and practice. You're a little out of it."

Kitty watched her friend anxiously. Diane nodded.

"I have been negligent. I knew I would dance again…It just…hurt…"

Stevie nodded too. "Yes. It was hard for me to start again. But you are amazing for someone who hasn't danced in three years."

"I would never forget the steps I was taught since I was five. That would hurt so much more than actual dancing." Stevie nodded again.

"Well, then lets see how well Kitty can dance this."…


	4. Eternal

Diane and Kitty came back from the dance class looking tired but happy

Diane and Kitty came back from the dance class looking tired but happy. Stevie, like Kitty had liked the dance and they had worked on it a lot. It was so much _fun_! She had forgotten how much she loved to dance…well not really…but she _had_ forgotten how much fun she had when she practiced with a good teacher. Kitty was too tired to hop, but she did walk quickly. She disappeared when they got to the mansion, presumably to Ororo's attic. Diane stumbled back to her room, but didn't make it. She flopped on Nightcrawler's bed. _It's a good thing Kurt isn't here_. she though wryly. _Or I'd never get some rest_. Of course, all that achieved was that he just teleported to her, hearing this.

__

~*Oh, go away.*~

**Why? I wasn't doing anything of importance.**

~*You…!*~

**Of course, leibling. Whatever else?**

~*Oh, go away.*~

**Herr professor said that you need to make a better costume for yourself than the generic kind that Kitty wears.**

~*Oh, go away.*~

**Later then. If you need help…just DON'T ask Kitty…"

His underlying suggestion made her wince. "No thanks." she murmured aloud. "I wouldn't let men help me design _my_ costume." Nightcrawler jumped. That was unnerving. He hadn't asked, but she'd answered anyway. It was rather strange now and then. _Ah, well, just another part of Diane_. And he really couldn't complain. He tickled her chin with his tail.

"Get some rest, leibling." Then he was gone. Diane, however, couldn't sleep. She was resting, examining the ceiling when a voice in her mind, quite different that either Nightcrawler's or hers, or any of the other X-men's she'd heard, whispered.

__

*****Phoenix is rising__.*****

**Leibling?**

~*That wasn't me…*~

(((((Diane! Nightcrawler!)))))

**Herr Professor?**

~*Professor?*~

(((((That was Phoenix…Jean Grey.)))))

**Jeanie…**

(((((I don't know if it's Phoenix or Dark Phoenix. I can't reach her. Watch out. She can hurt you through your link.)))))

~*Why are the evil people always bothering **us?***~

**Because we're the X-men.**

~*Sigh.*~

(((((Tell me if you hear it again.)))))

**Don't worry, knowing Jeanie, you'll hear it.**

They tried to go about what they normally did during the day, but the feeling that her voice had inspired in both of them lingered. Nightcrawler because he was her friend, and Diane because the feeling was strong. The professor had quietly told Cyclops, who was currently very silent. He knew the professor wouldn't poke fun about this, at least not to him. But what about the others? Nightcrawler wouldn't, but he wasn't so sure about Diane. They hadn't told her about Jean or Phoenix, but what if she'd picked it out of Nightcrawler's mind? He let his thoughts trail off. He shouldn't worry. If Jeanie was coming back, that was good! If she wasn't, then there was no change. But why did this feel different?

*********Phoenix is rising.******

Louder this time, they both ignored it as best they could, but told the Professor.

*********Phoenix is rising.******

Several had passed and they told the Professor, who was now very worried, but still couldn't find Jean, with Cerebro or with his mind.

*********Phoenix is rising.*****

This time it was really loud. Some of the other X-men wondered when both Gaea and Nightcrawler had flinched in unison. Finally, during the silent and tense dinner…

*******_PHOENIX HAS RISEN._*******

Both Nightcrawler and Diane fainted. No one understood why. Finally the professor had to get them all together and explain it.

"Phoenix, or Jean Grey…has risen again. I'm not sure whether its Dark Phoenix or the Jean Grey we know. We have to be careful. If you see her, don't greet her. I'm sorry, Cyclops."

Cyclops scowled, but nodded. He could understand that. There seemed to be a breath around the room as he said, all the rest stirring as they heard her name. Even Kitty, who had never met her, blinked. It turned out that they needn't wait for Phoenix. The astral image of the flaming bird appeared in the hall.

*******__**You, the X-men. I am no longer Phoenix, nor Dark Phoenix. I am The Phoenix Eternal. I am no X-man, nor one of your enemies. I am The Phoenix Eternal. I fight evil on my own. Do not interfere with me. I am The Phoenix Eternal.*****

The image disappeared, leaving the stunned X-men to blink as the fury-fire of her phoenix's glow faded.

"Hmm. It's not like Jeannie to repeat herself." Wolverine said, the first to speak.

"Well, at least we have nothing to fear from her." Cyclops commented.

"Cyclops…Don't go looking for her. She _will_ hurt you if you interfere. Didn't you hear her?" The professor warned.

"I hardly think loving her is interfering."

"Cyclops. Will you defy me after all these years?"

"Yes. For the woman I love, yes. Even if it means losing the X-men. She means that much to me."

"Then you have my permission to leave." The professor told him coldly.

That evening, several tearfully, the X-men watched Cyclops leave. No one noticed, but as he went, a tear leaked out of the Professor's eye. 

Storm watched him leave with a little relief, but much more sadness. He had been a great friend. However, things had gotten tense between them through the unspoken rivalry for leadership. They hadn't wanted to fight, but, alas, that was human nature. They had tried their best not to show it, but the rivalry had put a huge strain on their friendship. She was happy that that was over, not because she had complete leadership, but because the strain had bothered her into many sleepless nights.

Wolverine watched with a sad look on his face. He had admired Cyke's leading skills, but he respected Storm, too. He had seen the unwanted rivalry, but had wisely said nothing. As for Jean…he had loved her once…but not anymore. He preferred to keep his job. But obviously not Cyclops.

Kitty watched this, biting her lip. She knew that Cyclops was one of the best leaders the X-men ever had, but her loyalty to Storm had made her respect their black leader more than Cyclops. Now she wished that she had been more respective of him and his decisions.

That night was unusually quiet after Diane and Kurt woke up. The professor told them privately, and Kurt was stricken. Diane, who hadn't known him long was sad because she knew he was a good leader, and he had always been kind, but he hadn't been a friend, like Nightcrawler. Diane did her best to cheer him up, and Kurt tried to be happy, but he had seen too many of the X-men leave or die.

The next few days were just a silent and dreary. They worked in the Danger Room, cleaned, cooked, and lived the same, but all was silent, but for a few murmured words. The Professor was keeping an eye out for Cyclops with both his mind and Cerebro to make sure he didn't run into trouble. The unspoken agreement that they would help him if he was in trouble hung in the air every time Professor X reported.

Scott Summers, was at that moment, leaving the Grey's house. They had been happy to see him, but, unfortunately, had told him he was crazy and thrown him out when he'd asked if they'd seen Jean. They thought that he was playing a mean joke on them, even though they should have known better from him. As he trudged down the street, he puzzled over where she could be now. As he passed the graveyard where she was buried, he decided to stop and look at her grave. When he got there, all looked as it had been when he had last seen it, the day before Phoenix rose. He didn't know what he had been expecting, but the dirt was in place and the gravestone was still new…He gaped. The date of her death had been erased as though it had never existed. If now read, **DAY OF INFAMY. ** He gasped. Then he turned and walked out. He knew that he had to go tell the X-men. He sped off in the direction of the mansion, and he didn't even notice when someone bumped his arm. When he turned to look as she said excuse me, it…was Jean. There was no mistaking her red hair, or her face. Scott gasped. "Jean! It's me, Scott!"

"Scott? I don't know anyone named Scott, though I can't deny my name is Jean."

"The X-men, Jean, don't you remember? Me, Scott, Cyclops!" He wasn't aware of anything as all of a sudden he collapsed. In the empty street, a glow began to build, and then it blinked out.

Back at the mansion, Professor X woke up with a start. He'd been dozing in his chair. Cyclops was gone! He woke all the X-men up with a mental shove and projected an astral image.

(((((Cyclops had been taken. We have to go help him. I can't reach him with my mind, but whoever has him forgot about Cerebro. He's in the large unused toxic plant at the edge of the city. I can't reach whose holding him.))))) He didn't voice that it was probably Jean, but it was implied.

Diane woke up to a mental slap. She shook her head as she listened to the message, then frowned when the image disappeared. Then a tiny smile lit her complexion. She had a surprise for the X-men, although this was serious. The mood in the mansion was getting seriously thick, and she had hatched a plan to lighten it. She had been getting worried. Even Kitty was subdued. She waited for Nightcrawler to grab his costume, then she sneaked to a locked cabinet at the foot of her bed…

The X-men were gathered around the Professor's wheelchair. People kept asking where Diane was, they needed to go soon, and the professor only smiled a little. He had picked this out because he was anxious for the X-men to go, but he _did_ know that everyone in the mansion needed a smile. Diane came into the hall, pretending that nothing was different. She was just in her suit, ready to go. She pretended like she didn't know they were staring at her.

"Well? Are we going?" She kept her face blank. People continued to stare. She was wearing a bright, goldenrod yellow leotard with wings on the shoulders. The neckline was edged in dark blue, and there was a dark blue sash tied around her waist. She had a golden band with a black opal set in it around her forehead, and her hair cascaded to her feet. Her golden gloves also had wings and were edged with blue. Her flexible leather boots came up to her knees and there was a stripe down the middle of them, their tops were lined with dark blue fur.

"Whoa-ho-ho…That's somethin', babe." Wolverine commented wryly.

"OHMEGOSH!" Kitty screeched. "Howdidyoumakethat? Thatistotallyawsome. Canyouhelpmemakemine?

"M-mien Gott…" Was all Nightcrawler could manage. Diane merely shrugged and raised a brow.

"Are we going?" She asked again, calmly. There was slow nod from all sides. "Good." She marched out. The rest of them followed her, still goggling. "What?" she asked again. "Is there something wrong."

"It's…ah…bright…" Kurt ventured.

"So?"

"Nothing."

"Then lets go! You people are exasperating."

Storm, still shaking her head in bewilderment, walked out to the garage where the kept to Rolls. They all piled in and silently Storm drove them to the old plant. They parked in the shadows surrounding the old un-used building. Then they crept out. To all's surprise, no resistance met them as they entered the building. A quick search of the floor they were one showed that there was nothing here. Nothing to show that this was where Cyclops and his captor were hidden. They found stairs and quickly searched this new floor. Again. Nothing. There didn't appear to be anymore places to go in the building. Finally after much searching, Wolverine, using his acute senses, found a door that was so welled sealed that the only trace of a tiny line.

"'Roro. Should I stab this thing?" He growled.

"No. Kitty. Will you phase through and let us in?" Kitty nodded and walked through the door. There was a click and the door opened. But it wasn't Kitty that opened it.

It was a red-haired woman that looked so much like Jean…that she _was_ Jean to the X-men that had known her. But it wasn't Jean. She was so different. She didn't have the usual Jeannie glimmer in her eyes that the X-men knew. Her eyes were dull, hard, but they were not enemies eyes. They were still, dead eyes of someone with a great pain on her heart. Everyone knew that this was Jean anymore, but a stranger that just looked like her. They knew that they couldn't appeal to her as their friend, but only as a stranger that meant no harm. They couldn't attack her, but couldn't embrace her. It was so hard. So hard.

Kitty stood behind her, eyes wide. She'd walked through but this woman had smiled and told her there was no need to sneak in. Knocking would have done. Then the woman had opened the door, but obviously did not know the X-men.

"What do you want?" Phoenix Eternal asked in a polite and forgiving tone.

"W-we want Cyclops." Storm managed. It was so hard to speak to her friend after all this time, even though she knew this wasn't Jean.

"Scott?" she gave a musical laugh. "You can have him and welcome. He's been moping forever because I don't 'remember him', as he put it. She smiled. "But you must eat dinner with us." She led the X-men up the stairs, her long sweeping dress falling behind her.

Wolverine was antsy. This whole thing was wrong. He could almost smell it, but he managed to convince himself it was simply the abandoned quality of the place. She even smelled like Jean, but somehow it wasn't her. It was…like…

His thoughts were interrupted as they burst into a scantily furnished dining room. Cyclops was sitting in a chair, and he looked up startled as the X-men came in. Then he jumped to his feet. "Guys…" he sighed, then sat back down. "You shouldn't have come." he started to say, but then fell silent. The door closed behind them, and then Wolverine _knew_ there was something wrong. He used his mental block techniques as well as the device that was clipped to his arm that would neutralize psionic blasts. He inched over to Storm.

"'Roro." he hissed she looked startled, but nodded. "They're trappin' us in here, an' _that's not Jeannie_."

"But…"  
"Its not. Looks, talks, even smells just like her, but I have other senses. That ain't her. It's…not…her eyes…not Jeannie. Her body, maybe, but not Jeannie. Jeannie wouldn't forget. She'd rather stay dead than to rise and forget."

"Are you trying to tell me that that's someone else in Jean's body."

"That's the sum of it babe."

"Very good, Wolverine. You are much smarter than I thought for one of your size." said a chilling voice from behind them. Jean was facing them, and her eyes glowed red. "I first planned not to harm you, you'd die with the rest of the world, but now that you've interfered, I will have to kill you. One by one. Then the rest of you will see that the 'X-men' have no power against me. I am Eternal, the sleeping spirit of Grathum, a faraway planet in another galaxy, and I have wakened. I am hungry. This world is just big enough to fulfill my appetite. I am normally formless as I sleep, but when I feed, every one hundred billion years, I need a form that can devour a planet. It has taken me centuries to find this one. I wakened Jean Grey's body and her powers, though not her spirit, which is the only thing on this pitiful earth that can fight me while in this form-"

"You're wrong." A voice snapped from behind the rest of them. "_We_ will fight you."

"_You_ will fight me, little woman?" The great voice asked, her voice quivering with amusement. "Let's see." The demon reached with her mind. It felt like cold nails on Diane's mind, but she held firm. The demon laughed -a sound like nails on chalkboard- and waved her hands, and black glow collected around both Diane Nightcrawler. Then Diane's eyes widened. The beast hadn't harmed her, but her head rang. Nightcrawler was gone. Gone. Alone. She was alone. Swallowed by white, she backed away, Nightcrawler caught her, just as distressed. He'd gotten used to it. 

He held her tight, trying to convince her that she wasn't alone. No, he was there, holding her as hard as he could. Gradually Diane stopped shivering and her eyes flamed. She held her temper, now knowing that a direct attack would do nothing to help and only hurt her. She clung to Kurt, pretending to still be hurt. Suddenly Kurt understood. It almost felt like she was still in his mind. Just a moment ago, he could have _sworn_ that he'd felt a blast of the most intense yellow color he'd ever seen. She _was_ still there, but not because of the rapport, but because of the love between them. There was a bond and a mind-link that no demon could change.

The rest of the X-men stared. They'd just seen one of what they knew was on of the Professors strongest and best rapports brushed away like a fly. Suddenly they all knew that their devices and mind blocks were not enough. 

The dark black power washed over all of them, their worst fears came into their minds, and none could use their powers. But for one. Diane was still in the corner, eyes wide, watching Kurt thrash at something she couldn't see. She suddenly knew it was up to her. She reached out with her mind, forgetting that the rapport was gone, and touched his mind lightly. Then she began to attack the Black magic there. She smashed at it with her love. It dissipated, leaving her exhausted. She knew that it wouldn't help to free the rest, they would be harder. Black magic was immune to everything but love, and the rest weren't Kurt. Plus, the demon would only settle the magic again, and Diane didn't have the strength to do it twice. She knew she needed Kurt, she couldn't fight when her worst fear was loneliness, and she was too weak now to break the magic in her mind. With Kurt there to break the loneliness with his love, she could use her powers freely. If the demon was wrapped up in holding her spells, maybe Diane could get passed. Maybe.

Kurt's mind cleared. Instead of the horrible phantom of his long-ago brother, he saw Diane, her face almost touching his, with sweat dripping onto his shirt. When she saw him open his eyes, she collapsed, breathing hard. He knew now that she had battled past the strong magic, and from his experiences with Amanda, he knew that Dark magic could only be broken by love. Didn't that mean…?

Diane gasped one more time. She pushed information into his mind quickly. Just keep inside my head. She rolled over and over, pretending to be curled on the floor, rolling around in agony. As she neared the demon, for the second time in her life, her mental walls were as strong as she could make them, and that was pretty damn strong. But this time, Nightcrawler was inside her wall, which meant…he could basically read her mind. She pushed it out. The survival of the X-men was more important than her whims. The demon didn't notice her. She was laughing, watching the X-men writhe. Diane rolled directly into her legs, knocking her over. The demon got up again, laughing still, thinking this was all a part of her plan. Diane gasped a Celtic curse and got to her feet. The demon stopped laughing and hissed. She couldn't reach into this child's mind anymore. WHY NOT! She smashed with all her black power, but it wouldn't work. Diane began to glow blue, deep blue, shimmery blue. The color spread around. The furious demon kept throwing black balls at her, but they simply dissolved against the glow. The fire of Diane's love shone in the whole room now, the rest of the X-men blinked and watched, spellbound, as the hissing demon retreated from the love around Gaea.

"You can't hide from love, Eternal." The glow grew brighter. "You have tried to harm the people that I love. I will no longer deny that I love them. For that you will pay." The glow consumed the monster, which shrieked horribly, and then, bit by bit…she disappeared.

Diane was in coma before she hit the floor. Kurt ran to her, picked her up, and held her slight body against him. She was alive. But more important…He stood, holding her limp form. "She's…losing it. Fast." he told all the worried faces.


	5. A werewolf In the Mansion

He held the form against him as Storm drove as fast as she could back towards the mansion

He held the form against him as Storm drove as fast as she could back towards the mansion. He was desperate. He could only hold her tight and wish and hope he could push his life into her. He heard her shallow breath, could feel her erratic pulse. He dared not 'port with her. He ran when they got to mansion. He laid her delicately on a life-support, and hurriedly flipped switches, not noticing when the intruder alarms went off at his un-authorized appearance.

The professor came, fast. "I've heard the abbreviated of what happened to her. I think she'll make it if we get the support on fast enough."

Kurt nodded, but even when the support maxed and regulated her breathing and pulse, he refused to leave. His tail was twined about his legs nervously and he bit his lips until blood came. He sighed when the machine took her off critical.

"She just kept up…" he whispered, remembering the bright shine of her love. She had only been saving him. That was her life-debt. And she loved the X-men because they had accepted her. No. She _couldn't_. That wasn't Diane. His glowing eyes were bright as he watched her recovering. The life-support was doing wonders on her deplenished power and energy. He stared at the glowing screen, but didn't see it. He didn't hear the professor come up behind him.

"She loves you." he said softly, confirming Kurt's hard to believe thoughts.

"Well, of course, she loves all the X-men…" he stared, then trailed off. "Yes." He sighed. "I have known it since…since you made the rapport…" he blushed, remembering that the strong bond that had taken a lot of the Professor's power was now gone.

"You love her too. Is that wrong?"

"N-no."

"If you are worrying about the rapport, I will give you another."

"Diane needs it. Thank you."

"This is how you know you love her. You think of her first." the professor reprimanded softly. "That is similar to always thinking of yourself. You always need to think of everyone, whether you'd rather think about yourself, or someone else."

Kurt blinked, nodded, then smiled slightly. "She really does, you know."

"Yes, but Diane is learning that she isn't alone even without the mental connection. She is learning that you always had one. Right from the moment she gave you her life-debt. It is more subtle than a direct rapport, but it is there."

"Thank you Herr Professor. I'm almost glad it's out."

"You are the settling type. Diane is too. But I must ask…" The professor didn't want any married couples in the X-men. This was because if one died, the other…Nightcrawler nodded, understanding. He didn't want to settle either. He didn't want to hurt Diane or himself, and a married X-man could do just that.

"I'm also glad you keep me from asking her." He said softly, "Because I can't trust myself not to. Or her to say no." Then he 'ported to his room for some well-needed rest.

Diane was awake now. She didn't need to ask herself where she was. She could smell the slight brimstone. She was back in her room. Now she opened her eyes just a crack. No. She was in Kurt's room. He was sleeping next to her. She sighed. He now knew some of her secrets, and she winced. He'd certainly try and talk to her about them. That was something that she wouldn't do. She felt the ringing silence in her mind, and winced again. She missed him. Then her eyes widened. How had he been in her mind if there was no connection? She blinked a few times, and grumbled something in Celtic. She didn't understand, not at all. Nor did she really care. The X-men were alive. That's what she cared about. That's what she needed. Then she looked at Kurt. He was asleep, relaxed, and he had a contented look on his face. Diane didn't try and hide it from herself anymore. She loved him, more than the other X-men. It had been in the back of her mind since she'd given the life-debt but she'd pushed it out. Now she rolled closer to him and curled up against him, trying to absorb his content, but all she got was warmth, both of the spirit and of the flesh. She closed her eyes and drifted off again. She was still exhausted.

Kurt's eyes opened slowly. He felt Diane curled against him, and smiled. She had not been snuggled when he'd fallen asleep, but he had no complaints. She must have been cold. Her hair, which she had not tied back as she usually did to sleep, was everywhere. It smelled nice. He buried his face in it and sighed. He put an arm around her, and felt her burrow closer. He sighed again. _She must have admitted it to herself_, he thought, _otherwise she would never had snuggled against me on her own will_. _Diane._ He sighed a third time. _She was soft_, he contemplated, _her skin, her hair, her…lips_. Then he brushed his lips on her forehead and got up, where she curled in the warm spot where he'd been lying.

"Get better leibling." he murmured as he went out for breakfast.

The rest of the X-men were happy to see at least one of their missing number was awake. He got hugs and thanks and questions. What had happened? They had all been overcome. How was Diane? What had she done? Was Eternal dead? Jean's body had been reburied. Did that mean someone else could raise her again?

Nightcrawler only held up his hands and said, "I didn't do anything. All I knew was that Diane woke me up and stuffed me inside her head. I don't know if Eternal is dead. Knowing the evil things we have so often 'killed', she isn't. Dead, I mean." Their questions answered for the most part, this breakfast was like they had been before Eternal. It was filled with light, laughter, and friendship.

Everyone looked up as Diane came in. She was wearing a bright green tube top and tight fitting jeans with metallic thread that flared around her ankles. She had her hair up in a tight braid that played around her ankles. Her bright blue eyes stood out in her pale face. She obviously was not completely recovered, but definitely enough to want to get up and go on with her life. Pretending that nothing had happened, she sat down, her braid swinging. Luckily the others had been warned by the Professor not to bother her or she would have been swamped with questions that she didn't want to answer. 

She ate breakfast in relative silence, then stopped by the Professor's chair. "I…Professor. I never thanked you for the rapport." she began, unsure of how to explain that it was gone. He simply shook his head, and waved Nightcrawler over. Without saying anything, he reestablished it with a soft psionic glow. Then he left to go and organize his office, which was in a state of disarray from trying to find the source of Eternal.

__

~*Oh, Nightcrawler.*~ Diane sighed, not wanting to ask what he had learned while inside her mind, but needing to know.

__

**Fraulin, I've only learned what I already known. You love me. You're afraid of love because it hurts.**

Diane shook her head. Kitty and the rest blinked at her. Life was so normal, somehow. Didn't they…no. They had every right to lead a normal life. They hadn't been surprised at all, it seemed.

__

**What did you expect, silly? They love you too.** Diane sighed. She knew that, too.

__

~*Thank you, Kurt.*~

**I do my best.**

"Diane." Storm called along the table. "We're doing our fist session with you added to the team today. Right after this. You need to get into your…ah…suit."

"No need Storm." Diane concentrated, glowed for a second, and was all of a sudden in her costume. Kurt started.

"I'd forgotten what a bright color that was…" he grumbled.

"Something wrong, elf?" she asked calmly, flipping her braid in his face. Suddenly he grabbed it, and rubbed he end against his cheek.

"No one told me your hair was so soft…" he murmured. Diane snorted and pulled it out of his grasp.

"Don't touch it, you cad. It'll come out of the braid, and then where'll I be?"

"A sea of hair, obviously."

"Oh, go away." She grumbled as Kitty snorted into her cereal. Logan chuckled. Diane stood up, and pushed her plate away. She stretched and did a flip and a handspring to limber up. "Okay, I'm ready whenever you people are." Kitty was the next to finished. She bounced around for a while. Pretty soon people began to drift out to the room. Diane handsprung all the way down the hall. She landed in front of the door until the rest assembled there.

"Okay," Storm said. "We all work together to ward off anything that comes flying at us. We work in partners today. Me and Cyclops, Wolverine and Colossus, Diane and Nightcrawler, and Kitty, you help anyone who looks as though they need it. If someone is in serious trouble, you dorp what you're doing and help." She pressed the button and the doors swung inward.

Storm was the first in, then Cyclops, then Diane, Kitty, Wolverine, Colossus and Nightcrawler. Diane and Nightcrawler separated from the rest, so did everyone else. Kitty stood in the middle of them all, and Storm gave Professor X a thumbs up. The red light on the wall flashed, and a robot with a force field charged Wolverine and Colossus. Tentacles attempted to wrap around Storm. The floor dropped out from under Nightcrawler.

__

~*Nightcrawler, grab the bar!*~ She held out her hand and light poured from it, solidifying as an iron bar connected to the floor. She tensed her legs and leaped into the air, flipping as the floor underneath her feet attempted to rise. She landed on the floor next to it as it rose into the air. It stopped half way up. Nightcrawler 'ported to the top of it. Diane leaped again, and landed catlike on the top with him. She prepared to leap to the floor, but Nightcrawler put a hand on her arm, warningly.

__

**Don't go down there, If you touch the floor for more than a few seconds, it'll drop out.**

~*Storm needs help.*~ she shot back. _~*I've got an idea.*~ _Indeed, Storm was having problems getting away from the tentacles. Cyclops's blasts only bounced off. Diane leapt, then back-flipped and handsprung across the touch-sensitive floor. She landed on her hands. Then she leapt to her feet, she let her hands glow instantly, and one of the tentacles snapped away as an invisible noose pulled it out. Then another snapped, and another. 

Finally Storm was free. She soared to the top of the room, where she could monitor everyone's problems. Kitty was helping Cyclops deal with the still frantically waving tentacles. She would phase through them, which would mess up their electronic make-up and then Cyclops would zap them. Wolverine and Colossus were smashing at the robot, but it obviously was not working. She threw a lightning bolt, but it was only absorbed by the robot's force-field. She cursed, then turned. Nightcrawler was porting away from the wall gun that kept firing shots at him. He and Gaea could handle that.

Gaea returned to find Nightcrawler evading a gun the fired little pellets at him. She created a ball of her power around the gun. It fired it's fatal shot, which bounced back into it's muzzle, exploding the gun. She looked up Storm. The leader of the X-men had been caught in the wild stream of a huge ceiling fan. Cyclops could shoot that out. She turned. Wolverine and Colossus were still smacking at the robot, but it did no good. Suddenly Kitty came running, now finished with the tentacles. She ran straight at the robot, and prepared to run straight through it. However, she just bounced off of it. Obviously it's field was erratic, and had little pattern. She couldn't phase through it.

Gaea whirled, and saw Kitty about to be trampled by a robot. A plane of air appeared around Kitty and the robot ran right up it, crashing into the ceiling. The only thing that came down was a rain of springs and sprockets. Cyclops fired twice at the fan, which released Storm so fast she almost didn't glide safely to the floor. They'd won once again.

Diane blinked several times as she noticed that nothing came at her or the other X-men. She blinked again. Nightcrawler peered at her.

"No one told _me_ that you were a gymnast. I didn't know you had as much dexterity as me."

"I'm a dancer, stupid."

"Do that again. I want to watch while I'm not preoccupied."

Diane rolled her eyes at Kitty, who smirked. Then Diane handsprung around Nightcrawler, landing on her hands in front of him without a wobble. She stands there for several seconds, then flips neatly, landing on his shoulders.

"Hey! _Diane_!"

"Whoo. I haven't tried that one in a long time. I used to do it to my old…uh…" she quailed suddenly.

"Old…" Nightcrawler prompted, eyes narrowing into golden, glowing slits.

"F-friend…" she mumbled, averting her eyes. She leaped off, flipping twice before landing.

"We will talk of this." Nightcrawler murmured, watching her warily. She had said old, so maybe…In her old life, someone as beautiful as her would not go without a boyfriend, he reasoned with himself.

Diane's eyes flickered briefly, then she blinked several times and sighed. It happens to her every time…Too good to last. She grins wryly to herself. She really should have known she'd slip sometime.

__

**Diane?**

~*…*~  
**Fraulin, I'm not mad. Just curious.**

~*…Scott…he…was…the first to call when everyone found out I was a mutant. The first to tell me to stay away from him…*~

**That's why you were so afraid to…let yourself care about someone else.**

~*Yes.*~

Kurt patted her arm reassuringly. She sighed. In one of the few rare times in her life she'd reached for a handhold…and found one. She closed her eyes for a moment, got a hold on herself, then let her eyes twinkle in appreciation. She knew that these were the kinds of things that Nightcrawler used to tell her emotions. Then she noticed that the rest of the X-men had left silently, politely. She closed her eyes again and shook her head. Sometimes she wished that these people wouldn't be so showing about what they thought of her and Nightcrawler.

"Y'know, fuzzy elf, I really should work on re-creating myself and others in different places. I kind of…"  
"Need some one to practice on. I suggest you try yourself first, then you can do me, but only if you try a _little_ harder to move my clothes."

"You don't have to rub it in. That was this first time I ever did it, or, of course, I could have let the robot stab you, if you preferred."

"Of course, leibling. I was teasing. Let's go somewhere different than the hallway, hmmm? Especially if you do it again."

Diane muttered something about justified homicide and headed back to her room. Nightcrawler followed her, shaking his head. _What a temper_.

When he got in, Diane was on his bed, her eyes closed. She was concentrating. Her whole body glowed. Then, like on Star Trek, she began to slowly dematerialize. He watched as the particles slowly began to reappear next to the bed. Suddenly it stopped. She was half in one place, half in the other. Nightcrawler winced.

"Ooh…splinch…" he murmured.

__

~*Kurt Wagner, you dolt, do something. I can't concentrate like this.*~

**Diane Marilynn Fischer, I don't know what to do!**

~*PUSH!*~

Nightcrawler, sighed, grimaced, and pushed the two parts of Diane together. The pieces merged slowly as Diane used every fiber to -literally- pull herself together. She sighed. _I've got to get this down._ She concentrated again, and this time focused on re-creating herself on the bed. She concentrated until she had a picture of exactly what she wanted to do before she released her power to do it. She moved herself, literally molecule-by-molecule, to the bed. She collapsed, gasping as she finished. She didn't really notice that Kurt was staring at her. She blinked, and created her costume on herself, pretending that she didn't see the red color underneath his blue fur. "Sorry." she murmured. "Forgot about my costume. Whoo. That's hard…" she panted. Nightcrawler simply shrugged, rolling his eyes in exasperation. That girl was so hard to fathom sometimes. _But, _he thought wryly. _Females usually are. _Then he grinned.

"Let's not try that on me today, hmmm?"

"I don't think I could do it again. Whew. It's exhausting."

Nightcrawler rolled his eyes again. Then he sighed. _Diane is so strange sometimes. _He thought. _But I still love her._ He shook his head, and looked up to find Diane sound asleep, exhausted from her efforts. He tiptoed out.

A wolf-like creature stalked out of the forest. There was meat here. Fresh…good…*snarl*

With an inhuman snarl, a beast, half human, half wolf leapt from the shadows at Nightcrawler. He had little time to do anything before it leaped on him. As he fell, he remembered vaguely wondering what had jumped him.

The beast, rose, leaving Nightcrawler, scraped badly but comparatively unhurt. It snarled again as it heard the X-men coming in response to intruder alert. The first thing to hit it was a bolt from Cyclops. The beast kept coming. With a howl of rage, it leapt at Kitty, who phased as it's deadly claws swept through her. Somehow it kept up, snarling as it cut Storm down with one deadly swift swipe. Cyclops fell with the next. Kitty didn't have time to phase. The last were Colossus and Wolverine. For all his claws and rages, Wolverine was no match for the pure blood-lust of this half-wolf. Colossus didn't stand a change against the ball of fur as it leapt for his head, smashing it against the wall. Still snarling ferociously, the wolf headed for Diane's room. There was no, scream, only another snarl of rage. The body of the wolf-thing flew down the hall. Diane stood, fists clenched, usually long teeth bared. Suddenly she began to change. Her spine cracked, her knees buckled, fur sprouted on her face, hands, arms. She prepared to leap on the still forms in the hall, then suddenly turned, loping off down the hall.

Nightcrawler woke with something heavy on top of him. It was the still form of the thing that had attacked. He shuddered. It was in a humanoid form, and as he got up, he saw the rest of the X-men, who had not been expecting anything, had been decked by the creature as well. Where was Diane? He could no long feel her in his mind, she must be terrified out of her wits! He ran for her room, but there was nothing there but a stain of blood on the sheets. He rushed back out, ready to scream. The rest of the X-men were up.

"Where is she?" he asked frantically. Everyone only stared at him. He immediately 'ported outside, to look there. He caught a glimpse of a furry wolf-like form plunging into the forest. He followed it. When it stopped, he watched, wondering if there was a pack of these things or something. His eyes popped as the figure bubbled, and formed back into Diane.

"Diane!" He ported down from the tree. "What happened?"  
Diane's small form shook. "Don't touch me." she growled in a voice not her own. She bared a lengthening fang.

"Diane!" He 'ported back to the mansion, afraid, more for Diane than for himself.

"Professor!" He cried, "She's…turned into some king of…wolf!"

"A werewolf. She was bitten. There is no known cure…she'll be crazy-mad, filled with a bloodlust…Nightcrawler…I'm sorry…we have to…"

"No cure! Ooh…Diane…" He closed his eyes tight, baring his fangs. _Not Diane!_

"We have to fight her Nightcrawler, these beasts have impossible strength. They are very rare, and I'm surprised this one made it this far without being killed by silver or fire. All of you need to be equipped with a device that shoots silver, sliver bullets work best. I'm sorry. I don't like to lose a good X-man…or one that has changed us all as Diane has…"

The professor handed out hand-guns. Kurt closed his eyes. He couldn't…

The X-men crept into the forest. Far in, Diane heard them. In her human form she had some sense of sanity. She didn't know how long it would last. She knew what she had to do. For the safety of the X-men, she had to kill herself, but how did a werewolf kill herself? She'd have to go find the X-men, tell then to shoot her with silver. It had to be someone that loved her…_oh_. She groaned. _I can't make him do it. I have to._ She found his scent easily. She walked right underneath the tree he was in, making a good target of herself. She didn't expect him to leap out of the tree and land in front of her.

"What happened?"  
"Don't ask. While I'm still in control, SHOOT ME! DO IT!" She screamed at him. Her control was slipping, he smelled far too much like prey now.

"Diane…I can't…"  
"You have to! Someone who loves me has to do it, or it won't work. " Her spine cracked, she was changing.

"Leibling…" He closed his eyes as tight as he could. He heard her knees pop, her body changing. He held both hands out in front of him like a TV cop. He pulled it. The sound was something he'd remember forever. She howled with the voice of an animal, then dropped on his feet. He looked down. She was turning swiftly back to human, didn't that mean she was…No. He wouldn't think of it. He picked up her limp form, tears streaming down his face as the rest of the X-men came running at the sound of the shot. She was still so beautiful…He teleported back to the mansion, ignoring the cries of the others. He held her close to him, letting himself cry. Suddenly he was completely still. He had felt a faint stirring. He disappeared to the medi-lab.

He checked it. She was alive, if only very faintly. The computer didn't know if it could do anything, but it extracted the bullet. It had come that close to her heart. He watched nervous. She would not be well for some time, and it was still too early to tell if she was still a werewolf.

The rest of the X-men came trampling in. What had happened? Why was Diane on a life-support? Was she alive? Was she still a werewolf? Why did he bring her back? How had she lived?

The Professor wheeled up to Nightcrawler. "She…I don't know if she'll be Diane again when she wakes up…If she isn't…Kurt…we have to kill her. She'll only go on killing, you can't tame a werewolf."  
"No need. She will be fine…if she wakes." said a calm voice from behind the professor. It was Dr. Strange. "The sliver bullet will kill her wolf-self. She should have died from that shot, but her will to live, her love, was so great that her human-self survived. However, it is not likely, as the computer shows, that she will live through the ordeal. I wouldn't set your hopes on it. I wish I was not the one to break such news on you." Nightcrawler couldn't listen anymore. No…she couldn't die…no…He disappeared again. The tears flowed again, his heart felt like it had been torn open.


	6. A Visit From Chaya

A galaxy away, in the Palace of the High Ones, Chaya blinked

A galaxy away, in the Palace of the High Ones, Chaya blinked. Nightcrawler…somewhere, in such pain that it reached her in the palace. No, not physical. It was… emotional? One of the other X-Men must be hurt, she reasoned. 

"Black hair," She muttered. "Bring this rock to the stars, won't you?"

Wolverine woke up, blinking furiously. There was a loud rushing sound, and…pastel light? He smashed the window and leaped out. Trouble? But now the rushing and light was gone. What had it been? _I'd better check it out. _He rushed across the ground to where he'd heard it. Nothing. And then suddenly, there was a figure rising. Whoever it was had long hair, pointed ears, and was very, _very_ short. The first thing she uttered was a curse.

"Where am I? She looked around frantically. "Oh, no…" she groaned, seeing Wolverine, and planted her hands on her hips. "Not another one!" She whirled around, eyes glowing. "There are too damn many of you, Wolverine. It's getting on my nerves."

_That settles it. She's crazy._ "Uh, sure. You okay babe? Where'd you come from?"

"Okay. So. What happened? Which one of you died now?"

"Uhm…babe, I think you'd better come inside…"

"Huh. Alright." She stalked off, somehow knowing her way around the sprawling grounds of the mansion.

Nightcrawler didn't look up when there was a knock on his door. He didn't want company. He hoped whoever it was would get the hint and go away. He didn't expect someone who he didn't know to yell though the door, "Wagner, you open this door right this minute, or, by all my ancestors, I will smash it down."

Nightcrawler jumped, but still made no move to open it. _Why_ couldn't this unknown person leave him alone? Hadn't anyone told her to leave him alone? _Check, _he thought, _she doesn't sound like the kind of person to really listen._ The door slammed in.

Kurt stared at the haughty form before him. Long, golden hair with silver highlights, and intense blue eyes that can hardly be described. Those slanted, catlike eyes were misted with silver and looking peeved. Her form… well… wow. "So what _happened?_ Did the bald one die or something? Judging by the send-call, that's about right."

"Vas…" Nightcrawler blinked many times. "Am I supposed to know you?" He asked quietly.

"Very funny, tiger-eye. Stand up and tell me what in the two moons is going on here."

"Perhaps you should tell me," He said faintly.

The female looked over him, and began to circle him. "Same eyes… same tail… same looks overall… same scent?" She snatched a hand and sniffed, and Kurt began to decide that this person was thoroughly insane. "No blueberries! Just smoke!" Her eyes widened. "_I hate parallel universes!_"

Nightcrawler blinked fervently. "Uh…"

"Uh would put it very well. You don't know me, but I know you. Sort of. But I _do_ know _very well_ that something has made you depressed, yes?"

Kurt stumbled back. "Who _are_ you?"

"Chaya," She said simply. "I'm your distant girlfriend… sort of. To another Kurt Wagner of the X-Men. I _refuse_ to let you give me that look; I don't understand why parallel universes are so hard to fathom by humans. So narrow-minded... Anyway, I felt your pain, and I'm here. So what's the problem? I was three stars away; it must be something big."

"Gaea," Kurt replied softly.

"Who's Gaea?"

"I thought you said you knew me!"

"I know the _other_ you. But he smells different. Otherwise, I think he's the same. But who's Gaea? And what about her?"

"She's dying… Chaya, can you help her?"

She smirked. "Show me her."

Kurt stared. "That simple?"

"Yup."

Nightcrawler hesitated. "Are you an angel?"

Chaya's grin turned to a devilish smirk. "Hardly," She murmured. "So show me her."

The professor, at first, was reluctant to let her in. In the end, an elegant display of making Cyclops fall asleep by a blue light and rivaling Storm's furious winds got her inside. She looked over the tiny form and frowned to Kurt.

"Who is she?"

"Gaea. Diane. I love her."

"**_WHAT?_**"

"Uh…why shouldn't I?"

"Uhg…parallel universes are annoying. Alright, what makes you think I should do this for you?"

"Why can't you just help me out of the goodness of your heart or something? Mein Gott, who _are_ you?"

"I'm Chaya, I'm vexed, and I'm thoroughly jealous that you'd settle for this young one here. Tsk."

Kurt growled. "_Help her._"

The female bristled. "Bastard blue-pelt," She muttered, and slapped a hand to Gaea's forehead. It glowed golden, then glistened blue. "There. Happy?"

"No. You…I don't…" 

"She'll take a while to wake up, but her body is healed. Now _you_ will explain to me how in the *%$#@…"

"I…"

"Yes?"

"She…was bitten by a werewolf. I…shot her with a silver bullet. She lived but her wolf-self died. She…"

"You shot her."

Kurt growled, exasperated. "What else was I supposed to do?" He demanded furiously.

"You shot her."

"She told me to. In fact, she yelled at me."

Chaya eyed him. "Either give her the Ytverius potion, or boil seventeen drops of her blood on the seventeenth hour of a full moon. I thought _everyone _knew that. Well, there are some other procedures I don't remember, I'm sure, but those are off the top of my head. The others include blood sacrifices; mostly squirrels, for some reason; don't ask me why. Maybe the maker of the potion agreed with me: too many _squirrels_ in these realms..."

Kurt stared a Chaya a moment. "I…have a feeling that you and Diane will _not_ get along…"

"Next question. How in the @*&^% did she become an X-man? She wasn't, the last time I checked."  
"I found her in the park. Her family had thrown her out because she was a mutant. I brought her back…and uh…"  
"And?"

"She…uh…gave me her life-debt."  
"Stupid kitling. Didn't she realize the magic behind a life-debt?"

Nightcrawler turned magenta. "I think so…And then the Professor…kinda…gave us rapport…because Diane can't be alone. It scares her…"

"Stupid blue-pelt. Didn't _you_ realize?"

"Yes. But I think I would love her with out the rapport or the life-debt."

Diane chose that moment to stir and rub her head. The first thing she saw when she looked up, was the worried face of Nightcrawler, and then the still rather vexed form of Chaya. "Uuuhhg." Nightcrawler started. Suddenly, now that her wolf form was gone, the rapport was re-established. He hastily constructed his wall, but didn't feel Diane making one. She was much too tired still. "N-nightcrawler? Kurt?" She sighed. "I made it."

"Don't get up. You're still too weak."

"No, she's not." Chaya interrupted from behind him. "Didn't you hear me? I _healed her_. She's perfectly fine, just a little stiff."

Diane stretched, and got up, she stumbled a little, then shook her head. "Urf." Kurt put an arm around her shoulders, and kissed her.

"I…thought…we all thought…"  
"I made it."

"And I'm going to be sick. Do I have to stay?"

Kurt twisted around and glared at her. "Who do you think you _are?_" He growled.

"In a sense, your girlfriend." She grinned widely.

Gaea blinked at her, and then glared at Nightcrawler. "I take it I've missed something. Care to enlighten me, Wagner?"

"Uhmmm…to tell you the truth…and I _seriously_ mean it…I have _no _idea."

"Try again, sport."

"Listen, I don't understand what's so hard to fathom about parallel universes. It's a different Kurt, but I'm still going to be entirely ticked off at the both of you." Chaya grumbled.

Gaea's eyes flashed dangerously. She said nothing, however and merely inclined her head. The slight curve of her lips told Kurt she wasn't mad at _him_.

"Suddenly, fire-eye, I'm beginning to think that you're right. I don't think I will like this bitter little kitling very much."

"Bitter?" Diane asked in a dangerously calm voice. "I'm not bitter, merely silent." Chaya rolled her eyes.

"Look, can I go? You both are really beginning to disturb me."

"Of course. You were never…really…invited." Diane told her.

"Yes I was! _He_ made me come heal you!"

"Yes, but no one told you to come to the mansion in the first place."

"Well…indirectly. I couldn't _help_ it; I felt his pain, and if I didn't come, I'd be suffering hurt for _your_ puny little death."

"Chaya…" Kurt sighed, exasperated with both females. _They were so puzzling sometimes._

~*Me? You MEN are the ones so hard to fathom!*~

**You see what I mean?**

~*Not at all, you fuzzy little…*~

**Aw, come on. I give up.**

~*Well good, I couldn't stand the shame if I lost all the arguments I have with you.*~

**Sigh…**

~*Well, at least that snobby &^%$# is gone.*~  
**Diane! She saved your life!**

~*So? That doesn't excuse her from acting like a bitch.*~

**Sigh.**

~*Would you stop sighing at me?*~

**It's just…I can't really get mad at you…I'm just so…happy that you're alive.**

~*Well,. that's nice. Me too.*~

**Chaya is partially right. You certainly are cynical.**

~*Live with it.*~

**I plan to…**He sighed again, then held her close to him, just glad that he can. Diane snuggled her head under his chin. He sighed again, and buried his face in her hair.

__

*~* I'm begging you two to quit open-sending. The mushiness will make me retch before I make it back to the palace. *~* 

Kurt whimpered. _**She can hear us?**_

__

*~* You're practically screaming in my head, blue-pelt. If I never come to this place again, it'll be too soon.*~* 

~*Grrr...*~ 

*~* And _you__. Don't get me __started__ on you. One more growl or sharp-tongued word, and I'll come right back and turn your head to that of a zwoot's... oh, _**_good_**_. Ride's here. Bye, all. And professor? Yes, I know you can hear me. Get __out__ of my head, you're the most irksome little bald human I've met, and I've met __plenty__ of humans. __And__ other versions of you, so that's really saying something.*~* _

Diane's eyes snapped, and her mind flared yellow. Kurt rubbed his head. "Diane…would you mind making your wall. That hurt."

Diane refused to move from her comfortable position under Nightcrawler chin. She murmured something and created a wall. It was strangely weak, but Kurt said nothing, he merely made his wall a tad stronger. _She must still be pretty weak._ He mused.

_~*I am not.*~_

**Are too.**

~*Am not.*~

**Are too.**

~*Am not.*~

**Are too.**

~*Am not.*~

**Are too.**

~*Am not.*~

**Are too.**

~*Am not.*~

**Ohh, now I REALLY can't argue with you.**

~*You never could.*~

Nightcrawler merely rolled his eyes. _Not weak enough to give up an argument,_ he thought wryly. He picked her up, to a few protests. "No. You are getting more rest. You are still weak, no matter what Chaya did, or what you tell me. I'm not arguing on this point."

"Well, I am!"

"No." Nightcrawler merely put a firm hand over her mouth. Although Diane was trying to project an image of yellow anger, he could feel trickles of greenish happiness and traces of blue. Kurt grinned. He could feel her exhaustion like a heavy cloak over her mind, and her thoughts were slow and sleepy. Deny it all she may, this was one very tired Diane.

Kurt grinned again. She was asleep even before he reached his room, so he merely tucked her into the bed, and kissed her softly. He was trying not to wake her up, but it was impossible -for him anyway- when she looked so contented.


	7. Snowball Fight

**Alright, alright, here's the new chapter. I know it's short, bear with me, I had a lot of problems on this story that I needed to fix before I could post this new stuff.******

**Anyway, new thanks to Kiara. You did /not/ review before. But I forgive you.******

**Anyway, to anyone who's reading this beside ~*Chaya*~, I suggest you read the whole thing again so you remember what's happening. I had to reread before I started writing again, plus I added some stuff to the previous chapters.**

Diane opened her eyes as slowly as she could. She had rested for a long time, she knew. Everything looked very different, somehow. She blinked several times, then shook her head to clear it. She was alone, it was afternoon, and everything in the room looked fairly…oh, wait, she was in Nightcrawler's room. _Damn him. Why did he keep putting her in HERE when her room was about two steps away?_

_**I prefer to have you under a watchful eye, leibling. Especially when you're sick.**_   
_~*Sigh.*~_   
_**Sigh…yourself. You've been asleep for FOUR whole days. I hope you're better**_

_~*You…*~_   
_**Me?**_

_~*Oh, nothing…you're so cute sometimes.*~_

_**Who are you, and what have you done to Diane?**_

_~*Shut up. That's the problem with you.*~_

_**Me?**_

_~*Here we go again…*~_

Nightcrawler suddenly appeared in the room. He hung from one of the bars on the ceiling and swung back and forth from his tail. As he passed her, he kissed Diane on the forehead. "I see that you are finally awake…and kicking…" 

Diane sighed. She refused to get up. She was warm, she was comfortable, and as long as Kurt didn't leave, she wasn't alone. He landed on the bed. 

"Everyone has been worried about you…" 

"Why? Chaya healed me."   
"Oh, you know how people are when someone they're close to gets hurt. All rationality goes out the window. They kept pestering me."   
"Because _you_ were in here 24 hours a day, I take it." 

"Yes…" 

"And you speak of rationality." 

"Oh, hush." He mumbled, turning slightly red. Diane sighed hopelessly. Little did he know, it was rather hard for her to argue with _him_. Perhaps, by the way he was suddenly smirking, he did. She frowned inwardly. She'd have to work on that. But now she glanced up, her bright blue eyes meeting his golden ones, her blue metallic love shining from behind them for a second before she said, 

"Oh, come on, help me up, I need food. Haven't eaten in a long time, almost a month by the feel of it…" 

"Only a couple of days…" He started to say, but gave up, half-picking her up. "You going to wear this thing down there?" He gestured at her tank top and baggy pajama-bottom pants. 

"Y'know, fuzzy, at this point, I'd go running for food even if I was buck naked. Come ON!" Nightcrawler shrugged, giving Diane a shoulder to lean on as she made as fast tracks as she could with her stiff body.   
  


Once in the kitchen…   
  


Diane left after what seemed to be record time, leaving a pile of cans and dishes, still looking as she always did, even after wiping the whole kitchen and refrigerator clean of anything edible. Then she retreated to her room, presumably taking a shower, because the water was running…for about two hours.   
  


She returned for dinner, though she didn't eat anything, she simply sat looking extremely happy…for Diane. The rest of the X-men had been warned not to bother her, becoming a werewolf obviously was not a pleasant experience. So Diane was not pestered, though she did receive thanks and hugs and such. 

Kitty had been particularly struck by the whole experience, she had bought Diane a pair of some of the nicest tap shoes the short blonde had ever seen. She had said goodbye to a friend before…but had never seen one dead, and not one that she had bonded so well as with Diane. 

"OH, wow…Kitty…these are wonderful…" Diane murmured when she opened them. 

"I…" For once the youngest X-man didn't seem to have much to say. "I figured you tapped as well as took jazz…" She said finally. Diane didn't really need to say anything, her thanks hung in the air between them. 

To lighten the mood (it had been getting rather thick) she took them out of the box, immediately replacing the shoes she'd been wearing before. She did a few practice run taps, the clucking sound echoing through the room. They were casual, easy steps, but the way she moved showed that she was an experienced tapper. Then she stood in the middle of the room, closed her eyes, and picked a song. She stood for a long second before her golden voice took over. 

"Zoom, zoom, zoom zoom, the world is in a mess, with politics and taxes, and people grinding axes, there's no happiness…" She tapped as she sang this, her feet gliding and clicking to obviously practiced dance steps. "Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, rhythm lead your ace, the future would not fret me, if I could only get me, someone to slap that baaaaase…" *clickityclickityclickityclick* "Happiness is not a riddle, when I'm list'nin' to that big base fiddle," *taptaptaptaptaptaptap* "Slap that base, slap it 'till it's dizzy, slap that base, keep the rhythm busy, learn to zoom zoom zoom, slap that base!" Now she was completely drawn into the song, her eyes shut as she concentrated on her feet, which flicked and tapped as though they had a mind of their own. "Dictators, would be better off, if they zoom zoomed now and then, today, you can see that the happiest men! All got rhythm! In which case, if you want a bubble, slap that base, slap away your troubles, learn to zoom zoom zoom…Slap that BASE! Slap that base, take it like a tonic, slap that base, keep your Phil Harmonic, learn to zoom zoom zoom, slap that base." It was around now that everyone realized that the music from the song was not just her singing, but was also coming from the air around her...rather strange...but it worked perfectly with her dance. "Dictators, would be better off if they Zoom! Zoom! now and then, Today! You can see that the happiest men! All got rhythm! All. Got. Rhythm!" Now she stopped tapping for a moment to sing the climax of the song. "In…which…case…if you want a bubble…slap...that…base…slap away your troubles, learn to…zoom…zooom…zooooooooooom, slap that BASE!" She ended with her arms above her head, not even really breathing hard. She opened her eyes slowly to find everyone staring at her. Then she bowed. Everyone clapped.   
  


Later, Diane was on _her _bed, in _her_¸ room, running her hands over her new tap shoes, her eyes far away, so obviously thinking about something else. _I died._ She realized, _I was really, truly dead there for a second._ Indeed, she had been. _I remember it…it was like a black pit…but something pulled me back…_She didn't even have to think hard about what it was, she already knew. _Everything seems to be happening to me…_She murmured, running a hand through her blonde hair, which she had taken out of her usual braid. _It must be because I'm new._ She thought finally, after a moments quiet contemplation. But something intruded on her quiet thoughts. 

_**No, my dear, you should know better.**_

_~*I should?*~_

_**Nothing is because you are new. Things like that…like…** _His mental voice paused for a second. _**Like your coming back to life. It is all like your defeat of Eternal…You lived…because your will for life, your love to live was so strong…**_

_~*Must it always come back to love? My love in particular?*~ _Her mind voice snapped a little testily. 

_**Love is the golden thread that holds people together. Of course it'll all come down to that. And yours…yours is very strong, it has a way of changing people…for life.**_

_~*Please.*~_   
_**I'm perfectly serious.**_

_~*That's the problem.*~_

_**I know, but you need to hear it.**_   
_~*I do not!*~_

_**Too bad. Like today…everything you do seems to have an effect on a lot of people. Your dance brought everyone out of the sad stupor everything was in since the werewolf attacked. It brought everyone to realize that you were alive, you showed them that life goes on…and it does…**_

There was a long pause. Kurt could feel her thinking…and he knew she didn't like that one bit. But he could also feel that she knew he was right…something that she didn't like either. 

_~*I suppose…*~ _She said finally, surprising him. He hadn't really expected her to agree verbally. He felt a mental sigh of resignation, and knew that she'd given in, for whatever reason. He decided to change the topic…so he teleported to her room. He took a look at her shoes and smiled, showing off his fangs. 

"You really did a nice dance today…you've practiced that?"   
"Oh, of course…" She asserted quickly. "It's from a play I was in a long time ago, Crazy for You, it's a Gershwin musical…I love it and most of the songs in it. Most of them fit me…" She sang a line…"You better dance little lady, dance little man, dance whenever you caaaaan…That's from Shall we dance…" She seemed to think for a moment…"Music is the magic that makes everything sunshiny, dancing makes my troubles all seem tiny…when I'm dancing I don't care if this ol' world stops turning, or if my bank is burning, or even if Romania wants to fight Albania…Because you see I'm dancing and I can't! Be bothered now!" She almost smiled at Kurt, but she didn't. "That one's from Can't Be Bothered Now…I really love that musical…you really should see it some time." Kurt grinned at her. 

"Sounds interesting. I really haven't seen many musicals…" 

"You have no idea what you're missing!" She said in an shocked (for her) tone. "C'mon." She said grabbing his hand and dragging him off.   
  


About an hour later, Diane had found a TV and a VCR, stationing them in Kurt's room before speeding off and getting a stack of videos. Then she stationed him on the bed, and slipped the first video in. She informed him in a matter of fact voice that this was the musical she had been singing from, Crazy For You. They both watched it in relative silence, though Diane sang all the songs that she liked, which was most, and did the best of Tessy's parts in the songs. However, by the end of the movie, Diane was really very tired, and she fell asleep without a second thought for where she was.   
  


Over the next few days they watched the rest of the stack of movies, which included The Music Man, The Wiz, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, and Cats. Diane was in a really good mood, she was constantly whirling down halls singing songs at the top of her golden voice. It raised the spirits all over the mansion.   
  


The days began to get colder again, and Diane's time in the mansion lengthened to almost year. Finally, one day in early December, it snowed. Diane, who loved the snow, was one of the first people outside when she realized there was snow on the ground. The snow was in perfect packing form, wet and slightly sticky. She found that it made perfect snowballs, and it also packed nicely around a piece of her power. 

She made a slushy ball, and shimmied up into a tree, waiting for some unsuspecting person to come out of the mansion.   
  


That person was Logan.   
  


The snowball with the power-core floated out of the tree Diane was perched in, finally coming up behind and smacking Wolverine in the back of the head. The short man whirled. 

"Alright, who threw that?" He asked gruffly. The core of Diane's power rolled itself into another ball of snow, flying and bouncing off the back of his head yet again. This time he looked thoughtful. Then… 

"C'm out, c'm out wherever you are, Di." He said, making himself a slushball of his own. Diane had to fight as hard as she could not to giggle. Instead, she leapt out of the tree, landing just out of Wolverine's reach…a couple inches above his head. She danced back and forth, her powerball still bouncing off the back of his head when he was too busy trying to get her. She was so involved, she didn't really hear or see the snowball that splattered over her back. She fell off her piece of air and into the snow, still trying to find her attacker. She located Kurt's chuckle finally. 

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!" She yelled, this time quickly scooping a snowball and throwing it at him, though it only sliced through a cloud of smoke and brimstone. "No telelporting. I can't hit you." 

Then Cyclops came outside, wondering what was going on. 

"Snowballs, Cyke!" Logan yelled, before pitching one he'd had behind his back at the leader. It hit Scott full on the face, splattering over his red glasses. Scott yelled defiantly, and threw one back., which missed, though it still spun off in the direction of the mansion door…that opened at that moment.   
  


Kitty managed to phase, and the snowball splatted somewhere in the hall. She laughed, running out into the snow, scooping some as she ran, then throwing one at Cyclops, which he zapped out of the air. 

Pretty soon it was a pitched battle, snowballs where flying everywhere, and there were balls of brimstone everywhere. Diane was running around and inch above the top of the snow so she wouldn't sink in. Pretty soon she learned to anticipate Kurt through the mind link, and finally, she pretended to aim at him, and when he teleported, she threw at the spot she knew he was going to appear. The snow landed right in his fanged smile. He spluttered in protest, then dived for Diane, who flipped out of his way, landing on Logan's shoulders, and pushing off, which messed up his aim at Kitty, causing the snowball to hit Cyclops, who had been aiming for the flipping Diane.   
  


Nobody really noticed Storm. Until she announced, "You know, I believe that I found the remains of a snowball in the hall." The only response she got a was a pitched snowball from Kitty's direction, which she easily dodged, before muttering, "Amateurs."   
  


The wind began to whirl, clouds pouring over the people in the battle. Pretty soon thick snowflakes began to fall, adding even more confusion to the pitched battle, as now the viewing was obscured, they only way you could locate someone in the downpour of white, frozen flakes was either if they hit you, or they said something. Diane had an advantage. She could always tell where Kurt was, and so he kept getting plastered with snow, until his fur was almost caked...or at least, the fur on his face was. 

He was trying to find a dark shape in the snow to throw the snowball at when he was tackled from behind. 

She snow-caked blonde hair gave her away. She was out of breath, her cheeks were flushed, and there were snowflakes in her eyelashes. A glowing field popped up around the both of them. 

"I say we team up…" She whispered, almost smiling. He nodded. 

"Can you give me a shield? I can't see anything in this soup." She nodded, and the shield around them split into two parts. Then she dashed off again. Pretty soon they were in two teams. Logan, Kurt, Diane, and Kitty, vs. Scott, Ororo, and Piotr, who had come outside to see where everyone had gone. 

Forts were created, and there was an arsenal off snowballs behind each. The battle went on.   
  


Around lunch, the exhausted, dripping X-men cam tumbling back into the mansion. Diane's long blonde braid was almost frozen stiff, Kurt's fur was matted with snow, and everyone was soaking wet. 

**I see you looking at the monitor. Review this.******

**And, as usual, send any ideas to dragonkeeper10@hotmail.com**


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